The Washington herald., 1917-09-07
Third MAJOR LEAGUE
APPEARS PROBABLE
Organized Baseball Moguls Quietly
Considering Another Big Circuit.

"An air OF mystery surrounds the
purchase Of a major league berth by
the Orioles" so reads a headline or
a Baltimore daily In reference to the
Monumental City obtaining fran
chise in one OF the big leagues. Even
with Ban B. Johnson. stating that he
believes that Baltimore is ripe for
major league baseball, local famdom
will not have to worry as II Is a
sure bet that the Monumental City
will never be given the Nationals
franchise.
This "air of mystery is not mys-
terious as sooner or later Baltimore
will be sure given a berth in major
league baseball, but not in either the
American or National League.
The real inside tip on the situation
is that a third major league will be
discussed at the meeting OF the big
moguls this coming winter and that
Baltimore will be one of the first
Eastern cities to be considered in the
issuing of franchises for this new
major league if plans materiliZe.
1t is a known fact in the baseball
world that the minor leagues have
had quite a hard time getting over
the rough spots presented this season
and that even the International Lea
que. American Association and the
Pacific Coast League have had their
ups and downs in making both ends
meet.
According to the dope. the Inter-
national League and the American AS
sociation will consolidate and form
another big league made up Of sucn
cities as Baltimore, Providence, But-
falo and Newark in the East, with
Louisville. St. Paul, Minneapolis and
Kansas City in the West.
Men who have put their fortunes
into organized baseball realize that
il takes a compounded population Of
5000, 900 people to support big league
organization and since these cities
can boast of having nearly this quota,
1t appears probable that they would
be considered in the selections. AL
though this third major league may
not be organized MS winter. 1t is
a sure bet that there will be an
other big show in the field within
the next few yeaIs.
Although most Of the officials of
the American Association and the
International League will not ad-
nit that they have been up against
il this season, it is a well known
fact that it has been tough going for
the money men behind these circuits.
The rules of organized baseball are
such that before a change of this
kind can be effected in any manner
the unanimous consent of all the in
terested cities must be obtained. This
is the hard proposition of the big
men in baseball, but since Ban b.
johnson and John X. Tener have
engineered such deals as the Federal
League peace pact a movement of
this kind appears favorable and pos
sibIe.
The biggest evidence offered in print
that organized baseball moguls are
considering a deal Of this kind comes
from the pen of Edward G. Barrow.
president Of the International League.
Barrow at the request of one of his
Baltimore newspaper friends, was
asked to comment on the statement
handed out by Ban b. Johnson in
reference to Baltimore being ready
for a major league berth. Barrow
wired that he was not in a position
to discuss the proposition mentioned,
showing thaC there is something be-
hind this supposed-to-be mere" talk
Of the OriOle scTibes.
Rain halted the Nationals and the
Yankees in their double attraction
yesterday. but the Old Fox is out
after that fifth position berth and
has carded a double header for today
and tomorrow. Walter Johnson will
work in the first game against the
Manhattan tribe today, while Jimmy
Shaw or George Du Mont will do
the honors for the locals in the
nightcap. Ray Caldwell and Slim
Love will heave them up for the
visitors. The first game will get un-
der way today at 1:I5 p. m.