Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1917-11-11
BASEBALL MAP To
BE MUCH CHANGED
NEXT MEETING OF THE NATIONAL
ASSOCIATION WILL PROBABLY
REVISE LIST OF VARIOUS
LEAGUE MEMBERS.

/ SGVeTal years Will pVBAH noAt Au09H"S
and continue for three days.
! Interest will center largely about
proposals to change the whole map of
Organized baseball SO far as the minor
leagues are concerned. and as the
plan will meet opposition the sessions
may develop into exciting affairs.
In this connection the proposal
about which the greatest amount of
gossip has conferred and which seems
likely to produce the bitterest con-
troversy in the plan to form new
organization from parts Of the Amer
lean association and international
league. The proposed league would
include Louisville, Indianapolis, CO.
I Ii. mbus and Toledo from the American
association and Toronto, Buffalo, New
ark and Baltimore from the Interna-
tional league. The four clubs in each
league which would be left out in the
cold under this arrangement are ex-
pected to furnish all the opposition 10
the project of which they are capable.
In addition defands will be made, 1t
, is said, by interests in the Western,
Pacific Coast. Texas, Three and
Central leagues, the Southern asso-
citation and several other organiza-
lions for realignment OF their terri
/ tories.
Among the specific changes said to
be desired is the addition of Shreport,
a Texas league city, to the Southern
Association, and the transfer OF Seat
! tie from the Northwestern League to
the Pacific League.
| In addition to these changes others
would probably be forced by the sue
cess of any effort to form new conf
bination from parts of the American
! Association and International League.
Otherwise there would be no berths
for some of the best minor leagues
i towns in the c9antry.
Preceding the meeting of the Ma
tional Association of Professional
Ba eball Leagues, the Western
League will hold a meeting tomor-
row. The Thee l and Central
League will also foregather, The
American Association will hold its
annual meeting Tuesday, on which
day the National Board of Arbitra-
ton will be in session.
A movement may be launched to
SUSPEND operations in several small
er minor leagues until the close OF
the war. Practically every organiza-
ton from the big American Associa-
ton, 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 changes in
their circuits.
The blows to minors began TO
fall early in the season. The Virginia
League disbanded May Is. Two days
later the North Carolina League gave
I'D and three days later saw the fin
ish of the GeorgiaAlabama circuit
EARLY in June the Central Texas
League gave way The Dixie League
and the Northern Association sus-
pended early In July. The Three /
League, which had weathered all
kinds of conditions for seventeen
years, was obliged to suspend on July
8. The Northwestern League held OH
for a week longer and the Central
Association managed to continue IN
til August l.
The Western League was forced to
change its alignment and spit its sea-
son in July to 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
unreasonable weather conditions.
Presidents of several minor leagues
in the middle west are whole-heart>
erly in favor of putting baseball on
the shelf for year and possibly two.
They favor releasing all players an
starting anew at the close of the wac
on al 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 stahlhefer president of the Cen
trail League He believes the small,
inexpensive motor car has seriously
cut down the attendance in the small
eI cities