Evening star., 1916-11-12

Ior breath during the latter part of last
season, and its troubles are by no meana
ended yet The league was forced tC
switch around few franchises to make
both ends meet in the fail
Jimmy Kane, who halls from Scranton
Pa, has brought suit for $4,000 Jim
conspiracy.
He charges that rule passed by the
league threatened to keep him out of the
hot sun I'll summer.
hane started the season at first bas ase
1or sioux City. but was released by that
club When he tried to sign with Wich-
TIA, which club needed d first baseman
badly, he discovered that there was a
rule among the Western League clubs
Whlch prevented for sixty DAYS a club
from signing player who had been re-
leased by a rival.
kane's attorneys. among whom is
David Fultz. the head of the Players
Fraternity have informed Kane that h..
has good grounds for damages in the
United States courts under the laws
against conspiracy.
He will allege that he Was prevented
from playing ball all summer by com
plhatlon OF Western League club own
ers denying him enjoyment
There are two important questions
which should be asked Kane Where,
on, where, does he expect the Western
League owners to get that twenty thou
SAND and If he gets it what's he going
to do with it?
The National Association meeting
Whlch is slated to take place at New Or
leans next Tuesday will be one of the
most important gatherings that this or
ganization has had in it's entire career.
Many matters of unusual magnitude are
TO come up, and the attendance will he
one of the heaviest in years.
Major league masnates will be on hand
70 the number of twenty, while no less
than thousand of the minor league
constituents will be present
Dave Fultz will be on hand to adyo-
cate a change in the minors contracts
which prevents the players from get
ting their pay when they are injured in
the discharge of their duties
1t is not unlikely that the small
league will beat the major leagues to
the adoption of twelve-month con-
tract. which would assure them of
having control of their players the
year round. Salary limits are to be
reduced because of the fact that most
of the minors were on the losing end
last season, and this must be changed
in order that there is chance for the
club owners to get some of their
money back.
1t is the player who must suffer. but
the game could not exist under differ
ent circumstances, and the players
would not have any employment if
the leagues find they can't exist.
If Branch Hickey should be appoint
ed to fill Bill Carrigan's shoes he
undoubtedly would prove just as sue
cessful as his predecessor.
1t is not difficult matter to win
ball games with an aggregation so well
fortified in every department as were
the Boston champions.
Carrigan left a stronger team than
Jake Stahl turned over to him.
The pitchers are better and there is
no comparison in the in or out field, de-
spite the fact that Iris Speaker was
not on the team last season. Shorten,
who was a new conner. led his team
in hitting, and proved himself valu-
able man in the field and on the base S.
Duffy Lewis and Harry Hooper were
better than ever. and Gardner, Scott,
Janvrin and Hoblitzell could not have
been improved upon.
Then. too, the catching staff is one
of the best. There really is no position
which needs strengthening. The play
ing of the infield was spectacular all
during the campaign, and it was par
ticularly brilliant during the world
series. when its exhibition in the
field did much to make the Dodgers
look as if they were outclassed and
did not belong in the major league.
Such a team could win without
manager In fact, 1t is not necessary
for a manager to display any know1-
edge Of the game to send such team
to the front and keep it there.
If the McGraw team has it's share of
5Continued on Second Page.)