The sun., 1916-11-09
THIRD Big LEAGUE
MAY ENTER FIELD
Plan on Foot to Assemble
Eastern and Western Cities
Now in Minors.
BARROW NAMED AS HEAD
~ FIJI G. LIEB.

The formation OF a third major league
consisting Of the leading cities In the
International League and American As
ISOLATION and sanctioned by orasnized
Baseball. will be one Of the leading top
les to come up for discussion before the
annual meeting OF the minor leagues. to
be held In New Orleans next Tuesday.
Such a league would take In Balti-
more, Buffalo, Newark and Toronto from
the International League. and Louisville,
indianapolis. Milwaukee n Toledo In
the American Association. Kansas City,
which drew well In the Federal League
In 1915, would be favored over Toledo
but for It's geographic location.
Baltimore, Buffalo, Newark and
indianapolis were all represented In the
defunct Federal League Milwaukee was
In the American League until 1903. when
its franchise was transferred to st
Louis, and also put in one year In the
National League. while Louisville was
In the National League for quite a spell
before the parent major league was re.
duced from a twelve to an eight club
league in 1900. Baltimore. Buffalo and
Indianapolis have all been represented
at various times In both the National and
American leagues.
johnson Knows of League.
Ban Johnson. president Of the Ameri-
can League. inc Ed Barrow. presiden,
Of the international League. already
have talked over such a merger m 1,
also has been discussed with men prom.
incnt in the American Association. II
the plan would succeed the league would
lac lnnu., NJ tl. .., 10,
and Barrow would be elected president.
II such a move Is undertaken it will
be the direct ofshoo, OF the Federal
League war of 1914 and 1915, which
left the International League a wreck
and stNl is being felt throughout the
entire minor league belt. Prior TO the
big baseball war the I~nternationa'
League was one of the most prosperous
In the country. with franchises valued
~ from 10000 to $500. 900. The Fed.
eral League put big league notions into
the heads OF the fam in Baltimore. New
ark and Buffalo. and when the baseball
war was over they refused to 80 bach
10 the International League.
something drastic must be lone fol
the big minors. and major league rating
may be the only way out Of the difficulty
should tae Observation-Disclosures As.
soc'ation merger go through the new
league would Immediately be exempt
from the draft, and II may be given sew,
cral years 10 build itself up 10 rea'
major league strength. After such a
term OF years the league would bs
elie!blc for the worlds series. and Il
would Immediately have a representative
on the National! Commission
New Base ball Map.
Such a merger would mean an en-.
tirely new arrangement OF the mino
league baseball map. The Western
League was In bad straits last veal
and II could be proppcd up by the cities
left over by the assoc!ation-St. Paul
Minneapolis. Kansas City and Columbus
\ new league. taking in Providence
Rochester. Montreal and the best cities II
the New York STATE League. could form
a new organization. which would retair
the name of the International League
Richmond, which has had two year
experience In the International League
could be returned to the Virginia Leagi,
or given n berth In the Southern Asso
citation. taking the place OF Mobile. tn,
weak link Of the Dixie circuit.
That "A great deal Of interest Is beinJ
manifested in the minor leagues annua
conference is evident from the larg,
delegations OF local magnatcs who wi.
attend the New Orleans gathering Pres
ident Barrow and Capt. Huston, hal
owner OF the Yankees. already are OF
their a 20 the meeting, having stoppe,
AZ Dover Hall. Ca, President Tener o
tho National League. business Manage
sparrow OF the Yankees and Prcsiden
Ehbets Of the Brooklyns will also be II
attendance.