Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1917-12-10
WAR WILL BRING
ABOUT A CHANCE
IN BIC LEAGUES
Necessity for Radical REIMBURSEMENT OF
Professional Baseball Structure
Necessary.
INFRINGEMENT Is CERTAIN
start Concerted Movement to Reduce
PLAYER Limit from % to is Play
ers on Each Club.

New York, Dec. 10.--One of the ef-
fects of the war is the necessity for
radical reimbursement OF the profess
sional baseball structure and of the
many proposed innovations and cur
tailments suggested, the limitation Of
each club roster TO Is players has
aroused the greatest discussion. Mag
mates in both of the major leagues are
sharply aligned in favor or opposition
to this amendment to the rules and 1t
is likely that there will be consider
able controversy before the matter is
adjusted.
The proposal is one which permits
of much argument with plenty of facts
to support the contentious of the de-
baters. For instance it has been point
ed out that no club is required, at the
present time, to carry the full limit
Of players and might go through the
season with Is if it so desired. Clubs
| favoring a maximum of is offer in
rebuttal the statement that certain
organizations, financially capable of
supporting a 25-player team, swould
under such condition have decided
advantage over the club which could
not afford. in war times, to carry more
| than 20 at the outside. From other so
unofficial sources comes the claim
that the reduction is advocated by
certain clubs, the pennant chances of
which would be greatly strengthened
il other formidable opponents were
forced to cut down their playing staff
J to conform with the proposed require
ments.
The adoption of the rule would also
require, in all probability. change in
the national agreement which at the
present time places maximum limit
of 25 players upon the clubs of the
American and National leagues during
the greater portion OF the playing
season. This is further reduced tc
% in the case of the National league
through a regulation in force in the
senior organization while the Amer
lean league holds TO 25.
One baseball authority brings ou
, the point that the cost of maintaining
a big league team has increased ire
! mendously in the past ~ months ant
is likely to advance still further dur
ing the season Of 1918 The charge 70
hotel accommodations and meals. botl
on the trains and while playing il
rival cities have reached figures IA
beyond those existing in previou
! years, The war tax alone on railroad
and Pullman reservations will adj
something like IS per cent to tn
r transportation charges Of travelling
teams.
That numerous pennants have heel
r. won in past years by clubs with con
= siderable less than the number o
: players allowed at this time is show
5 Ivy q search of the records of the ma
r. tional game. During the early sew
- enties National league teams playe
through the reason without approach
4 ing the 18-player total The first @
i the American league clubs range
Q from II to 20.
: 81 Men Not Needed.
- A fair line on the number of play
/, ers used in recent years can be game
= from the lists of eligibles for tn
= world series as promulgated by th
: national commission each season sine
1905. The teams, of course, in eac
case were the winners of their re
spective league pennants and yet tn
records disclose that there has bee
hardly case where the full humble
Il Of eligibles were actually called int
action. Eighteen players registere
:, by the New York Giants and the Phi
adelphia Athletics in 1905 is the mir
; imum and the average for the entir
n 10 years is % and fraction player
: per team. The list follows:
"a 1905-New York IS; Philadelphia
y 1906-Chicago 20; Chicago q.
- 1907-Chicago %: Detroit 10.
"A 190S-Chicago 20; Detroit 20.
~ 1909-Pittsburgh %; Detroit 90.
% 1910-Chicago %; Philadelphia 2
= 19l1-New York %; Philadelphia .
"a 1912-New York %; Boston %.
-o 1913-New York "a; Philadelphia 2
m 19l4-Boston %; Philadelphia "A.
1915-Philadelphia %: Boston %.
"a 1916-Brooklyn %; Boston 26.
,s 1917-New York "a; Chicago "A.