The Washington herald., 1916-12-12
Big BASEBALL DEALS
EXPECTED This WEEK
National League to Meet at New York
Today-American Powwow
at Chicago.

Several important trades and deals Tor
players are expected to be made at
New York and Chicago this week. when
the club owners of the National and
American Leagues gather for their an
nual powwowr There may be some leg
islation Of vital import to the club own
ers and players at the meetings, but the
fans \are far more interested in deals
and trades The National. League meet
ing opens at the waldorf-Astoria, In
New York, today, at noon, when the
board of directors holds its session, and
the American League nagnates will get
together on Thursday In Chicago.
There have been many deals talked Of
during the winter season, but none con-
summated. It Is understood, however,
that some effort will be made to arrange
trades which will strengthen the Western
half of the National League circuit. The
Eastern teams have had a monopoly on
the pennants won in the last six years.
and unless something is done to strength
en- the Western teams and obtain
better balance during the championship
season the National League owners can
not expect the patronage to improve.
The new owners of the Boston Ameri-
can League club, Harry Frazee and
Hugh Ward, are theatrical men. 1t is
said that they offered the Washington
they probably did IL because they realize
the value of a star attraction or that
they knew the value of publicity. Any
way one looks at It Frazee and Ward are
on the safe side, as there Is not a
chance for them to get the wonderful
Johnson. II they should succeed in buy
ing Johnson, they probably would get
all the best of the deal, providing his
presence on the Red Sox had the same
H. -
did for Cleveland. When Jim Dunn paid
s55,ooo for Iris Speaker last spring It
was said that the new Cleveland owner
made serious mistake, but the addi-
tion Of the wonderful outhelder put
Cleveland in the race. The Indians, with
Speaker In the lineup. proved the best
drawing card In the league and Dunn
paid for Speaker and cleared his sea-
sons expenses before July 4. Johnson's
case Is somewhat different, however, as
he Is In the game only once in four
days, on the average, and besides, his
presence would not mean SO much to
the Red Sox. The worlds champions
have enough star pitchers to win the
pennant In any league IL the rest of the
team holds UP its end, and johnson
would only be one star hurler among
team, johnson is the whole show and
wonderful individual attraction.
The National Collegiate Athletic As
ISOLATION contemplates changing its bv-
laws so that summer ball will be recog-
rized. The proposed change Is made pub
lie by Prof. Frank w. Nicolson, of Wes-
leyan University, secretary of the N. C.
A. A. and chairman OF the committee on
revision, who sent out copies of the con-
stitution as amended and revised for
adoption at the annual convention here
December 2S
Under the present constitution, pros
elyting, the singing out of preparatory
school athletes and influencing them to
enter particular college. playing stu
dents Ineligible as amateurs, playing of
students not bonafide, and unsportsman-
like conduct are deemed the violations
of the principles of amateur sport.
Harvard and Yale chose wisely, so far
as can be Judged from the season Just
closed. in electing football captains for
next year. Walter Wheeler. the Harvard
tackle, is the type OF man we'll qualified
to lead, as he Is ever doing things both
on and off the field which command re-
spect-his work in the ambulance service
a broad being one example. Tie" Gates
the Yale tackle, also has a personality
and the natural ability to inspire his fel-
lows, a characteristic so essential to
strong leadership