Evening star., 1917-12-07
mo- JOINT meeting,
IS ED|CT Of TENER
National League Head Sees
No Need for lt-Decries
Calamity HowIing.
BY DENMAN THOMPSON.

i
National League is one that will be
| decided definitely when the magnates
of that circuit gather In New York
next Tuesday for their annual winter
meeting. John Tener is the president
and ostensible head, but the activities
of Garry Hermann, executive Of the
Cincinnati club and chairman of the
national commission. indicaae he Is
obsessed with the idea that upon him
devolves the task Of guiding it's des-
TIMES.
The most recent attempt of the Red
land moRul to uSurp authority not
vested in him-his announcement that
a joint meeting of the major leagues
Will be held in Chicago next Thursday
was followed by President Tener's
statement that he knew nothing of
AIRY such meeting. Reports from Gin
cinnau quoted Hermann naively
remarking that he was not surprised
that Tener knew nothing of the meet
ing. as he (Herrmann) was just send
ing Out call for the gathering.
Tener then came out fiatfootedly with
a telegram to Hermann saying it
would be impossible for club owners of
the National League to attend a joint
meeting with those of the American in
Chicago on the date set
hermann, upon receipt OF TINS COM
munication, wired back saying he
thought the meeting should be held on
the original date set. declaring 1T his
opinion that it is imperative that the
question of limiting players on major
league clubs be settled soon as pos
sible.
The chances are there will be no
joint meeting next Thursday. President
Tener lately has shown a disposition
to be president of the National League
in fact as well as name. and it is his
opinion that the time is not ripe for
drastic action concerning the PLAYER
limit.
You cannot make it too clear that
the National League is not meeting
next week to discuss plans for re-
trenchment made necessary by the
war Tener is quoted as saying
Various measures calculated to tide
our organization over a period of ma
tional stress may be brought up and
discussed, but we are not meeting for
the specific purpose of dealing with
such matters. Next weeks gathering
will be merely our annual meeting, not
a war council or anything of that sort.
AS said, there has been no call is
sued for joint meeting of the two
major leagues and none will be. There
is no necessity for one. and the sooner
this is generally realized the better it
will be for base ball. This constant
harping about the dangers besetting
the game is accomplishing no good,
and may work irremediable harm if il
doesn't cease soon"
The first of the major league clubs to
change in its spring training plans as
| result of the conditions brought
! about by the war is the Philadelphia
team of the National League. An
nouncement is made that to curtail ex-
penses the Phillies will pass up St.
Petersburg, Fla, where they have done
their conditioning for the past three
years. in favor of Southern Pines, N. c.,
which is only about half the distance
to st. Petersburg. This change is cal
culated to greatly reduce the expenses
of the club in the preparation of it's
athletes for the regular campaign. The
lies management to have been the
| best spring camp it ever had, the
| weather and Accommodations available
being ideal for the hardening of ath-
letes. but lit was felt that something
should be done to retrench, and as
consequence it practically has been de-
cided that the Phillies' squad will go
no farther south than North Carolina
to get ready for the 1918 season. The
Phillies trained at Southern Pines
prior to 1914.
Miller Huggins. the new manager Of
the New York Yankees, faces the pros
pect of losing one of his most valuable
| players. reports from Grand RAPIDS.
Mich; being to the effect that the lanky
FIRST baseman will not be available for
| duty at the Polo Grounds next season
Contrary to rumor Pipp has not enlist
ed In the Army, as he has announced
that he expects to be called in the third
| draft but he is said to have entered the
service of Uncle Sam as an expert
draughtsman, in which case he will be
unable to play ball as long as the war
lasts. Huggins will ind his Job of
I n xrrt inn sr NArx
York seriously complicated If Pipp is
not in Yank uniform next season, as
the former Catholic University man is
a hrst-class fielder. led the American
| League In home runs and drove more
runs over the plate for Manager Dono-
van than any other Yankee last season.
| Pictures of base ball players and
scenes connected with the conduct of
| the sport during the season recently
closed, designed to be shown at the
various camps and cantonments of the
National Army throughout the country,
Theater before the afternoon perform
ance today. The pictures were taken
by Marty McHale. former pitcher of
mond B. Fosdick Of the commission
on training camp activities and other
government officials were invited to
inspect this first showing Of the pic
whether they would prove acceptable
as a means Of entertaining Uncle SANS
new soldiers in their leisure hours.
Ban Johnson has Joined the forces of
| tho American National Red Cross. He
has been appointed one of q committee
| of seven to conduct a new campaign
| to raise funds. and after the middle of
this month expects to devote nearly all
| of his time to aiding this organiza-
tion. It develops that the president of
the American League declined q COM
| mission as major in the Quartermas-
| ters department Of the Army because
he wanted to go to France and get
right into the fighting instead Of being
confined to dealing with supplies and
the like. In fact, his offer to engage
in active war work still is on file at
the War Department. but. having heard
nothing from his application. he in
| tends to serve In some useful capacity
while awaiting word, and his connec-
tion with the Red Cross IL the result.
Johnson has not been informed OF tho
exact nature Of his duties rs yet. but
has been given to understand they
will involve considerable travelling. II
consider It q great honor to be named
on this committee, and have informed
the Red Cross that am theirs to do
with as they WISH" johnson is quoted
as saying.