The Washington herald., 1917-12-15
TRADES GALLIA
TO BROWNIES
Old Fox Gives Texan and
$4,000 for Bert Shot
ten and John LaVan.

Chicago, Dec. 1A-The trading fever
struck the joint meeting of the Amer
lean and National Leagues for a fare
you-weIl shortly before the moguls
went into session today.
Bobby Quinn. acting for Phil Ball,
the st. Louis Browns owner, who
left for the Mound City this morn
ing, traded DR.. John Lavan, short
stop, and Outfielder Bert Shotten to
the Washington American League
Club for Pitcher Bert GaIlia and
$1,000 in cash.
The Washington end OF the deal
was negotiated by Clark Griffith.
manager of the Nationals. Lavan
was one of the st. Louis players
who hled suit against President Ball,
Of the Browns, charging defamation
Of character.
1t is understood that the Old Fox
attempted to swing Del Pratt, the
sensational infielder, into this deal
for the Nationals. but no agreement
could be reached.
This deal. along with a number
Of others, was definitely clinched just
before the American and National
League magnates went into their
joint meeting.
Connie Mack, Of the Philadelphia
Athletics, resumed his habit of dis
pcseng OF star ball players. In one
fell swoop Mack sent three Of the
mainstays of his team to the Bos-
ton Red Sox, receiving in exchange
three other players and a sum Of
money said to total $4,000.
The men sent to the Red Sox are
Pitcher Bullet joe Bush. Catcher
wallie schang and Outnelder Amos
Strunk.
Mack receives in return. in addi-
ton to the cash, Pitcher Vean Gregg,
Catcher Chuck" Thomas and Kopp.
an outfelder last year with Buffalo
IN the International.
Harry Frazee, owner Of the Red
Sox, declared that acquisition of
Bush, Schang and Strunk would give
the Beantown entry the 1913 PEN
nant sure.
The trades caused the only excite
ment at the joint meeting. but the
business transacted by the club own
ers of both organizations when they
all got together in one room will
have much bearing on the game as
Il will be conducted during the war.
Outside of deciding to stick to the
l54-game schedule and open on April
Is, the most important bit of busi-
ness was the decision of letting the
Players Of losing teams cut in for
a part Of the big world series money,
instead of letting all the spoils go
to the victors.
As it is now, there will be incen-
tive for hustling clear up to the finish
Of the season. because the players
who ares hopelessly out of the pen
nant race along in the latter half
still have a chance to get a bonus
and the size of the bonus will de-
PEND on the position of that team
in the flag race at the finish. For
instance, the players who are tail
enders get only $50 or so apiece,
while the ones who land seventh may
get more than 500 each, and those
who finish sixth might get twice as
r1uch as the fellows in seventh, and
so on up. Those details haven't been
determined. but were left entirely to
Ban johnson and Garry Hermann,
appointed as a committee Of two with
power to act. 1t was not even set
tied that all clubs should be allowed
to participate. possibly only those fin
ishing in the first division being
eligible for slices.
The clubs will be allowed to carry
the same number of players next sea-
son as formerly. the limit being
twenty-five in the American League
and twenty-five in the National.
The discussion of collecting the tax
on tickets took up some time, and it
finally was agreed to adopt the scheme
worked out by the American League
men on the previous day.
A tax Of cents will be put on each
oleacher seat. 5 cents on a pavilion
seat, cents on a grand stand seat,
and 10 cents on a box seat, these being
the 10 per cent revenue imposed by
the government. Some system has
been arranged. so little trouble will
await the patrons. Pass holders will
have to drop a dime into a revenue
box as they walk through.
All of the club owners Of the Ma
tional League were present with tho
exception of Baker. Of Philadelphia.
President Tener of the league did no,
attend. The National League men ar
rived about noon, and soon after lunch
were in the meeting room Garry
Hermann was unanimously chosen as
chairman and William Harridge,
American League secretary, acted as
secretary. By o'clock d. m. the
business was over.
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