The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1917-11-12

International and Pacific Coast
Leagues down, suffered seriously last
season. Twenty-Five minor leagues
started the season and only about
half Of them finished. Only five
leagues went through without chang
es irf their CIRCUITS.
The blows to the minors began to
ginia league disbandsd May 10. Dwo
days later the North Carolina league
gave mp and three days later saw
the finish Of the Georgia-Alabama cir
cult. Early in June the Genital
Texas league gave way. The Dixie
league and the Northern Association
suspended early in July. The Three
I league, which had weathsred all
kinds Of conditions for seventeen
years, was obliged to suspend on July
8. The Northw estern league held on
for q week longer and the Central
Association managed to continue until
August z.
The Western leagde.was forced to
change its alignment and split it's
season in July 70 stir up new interest.
Even the American Association be-
gan to slash expenses early in the
season because Of the heavy losses
due to postponements, resulting from
oLC06O0aO4S WC0ku0I COuUlJ1OIlSs
Presidents Of several minor leagues
in the middle west are whole hearted
ly In favor Of putting baseball on the
shelf for a year and possibly two.
They favor releasing all players and
on . less expensive operating basis.
Continuation Of present salaries Of
minor league players, they contend,
IL out Of the Question. The unsettled
conditions In the minors, however. are
not entirely due to the war in the
league, In the opinion Of Harry W.
Stahrhefer, president Of the Central
| league. He believes the small. in
expensive motor car has seriously cut
! down the attendance In the smaller
cities.
From my study Of the situation, /
have concluded dthat the factory
worker, who, in former years spent q
| quarter or fifty cents for a seat in a
baseball park on Sunday, has bought
small automobile which takes his
spare money. We usually counted on
! these patrons for regular Sunday
business. But nov instead Of going
to ball game, he takes his family
for ride in the country. And at
present day prices for necessities af
| ter this fellow gets through buying
motor supplies, be has nothing left to
lavish on baseball.
"Golf also IL a contributing cause.
| Men who used to patronize baseball
in Evansville, Ind, my home, are TAX
ing exercise themselves instead of
| watching ball players get it,
A. 4. Tearney, president of the
! Three league, will lead a movement
at the national association meeting
for a Reconsideration
leagues and a reduction in the MEM
| bership of the National Board of Ar
bitration. Tearney wants the MEM
] bership of the board slashed from its
present number of eleven to three.
"The board is unwieldy," he said.
Its members, presidents of leagues
| and in some instances former presi-
dents who are entirely out of baseball
are scattered all over the country.
If an important piece of legislation
requires immediate action, it some
times takes weeks for che issue to be
submitted to the entire board.
| 1T is my purpose to propose Ma
tional Board composed Of three men
either to serve with salary or voIun-
teer their services. They could de-
vote their entire time to the minor
league situation. The National Com
mission has backed me in my recon-
mendation."