Evening star., 1917-11-16
MINOR LEAGUE MEN
: ACCOMPLISH LITTLE
National Association Adjourns
Without Making Much
Tangible Progress.
BY DENMAN THOMPSON.

| BY DEN MAN
| The "momentous" meeting of the
National Association Of Professional
Base Ball Leagues which ended at
Louisville yesterday was not quite as
momentous as. expected. The two most
! important matters to come before the
convention were those of forming
new league. composed Of clubs taken
from the International and American
Association, and a general realignment
of minor league territory, and both OIL
these proposals met with defeat. Fol-
lowing adjournment the national board
Of arbitration continued its work and
expected to clear up the docket and give
out decisions in about 100 cases some
time today. Peoria, ILL.,, won the con-
test for the 1918 convention, being Sc
lected in preference to this city, Chi
cago Newark, N j., and Salt Lake City,
Utah
A committee composed OF President
Sexton and Secretary Farrell of the
National Association and President
Stahlhefer of the Central League was
appointed to look after the interests OF
the minor leaguers in questions com
ing before the national commission, 70
protect their players in the event tney
are unable to open their gates next
season. They will try to arrange iol
major league clubs in some instances
having refused to reimburse the minor
league clubs until assured thal tney
will not lose the services OF draIteo
players through call to Army service.
The minors also adopted a course whlch
hardly will prove popular with the
athletes when they decided to dispense
with the usual five days notice OF re.
lease, enabling them to drop prayers
without any formalities whatever. In
addition the association adopted reso-
luton prohibiting players in any league
from participating in any games Out
side those regularly scheduled, unless
consent of the club owners mas oeeh
obtained. -,
Present prospects are that next sea
son will not be any too comforting
one for the players AS thingst stano
now minor league PLAYERS VIII nave ainn
that their clubs will actually be in the
field, and they will face the prospect
of being dropped at any time witnoul
a moments notice in case the league
they are hooked up with does open Tor
business. In case they become affiliat-
ed with some club that does go through
the season, they still will be the prop.
erty Of the club they signed with II
the committee appointed 1or me pua-
pose is able to arrange for the pro
lection desired. Players who quit oase
bali and take up other work and de-
eide to return to the diamond aIter the
war will have.t to go to the CLUB whicn
has them under contract and accept the
salary offered, even though the club
has remained idle.
Johnny Evers, former star inf1elder
of the Cubs and Braves, has received
his unconditional release from Presl-
dent Baker of the Phillies. and now is
a free agent. II Evers wants to con-
tinue In base ball there is little doubt
that he will be able to land somewhere
Evers is one OF the most noted char
acters the game ever produced. Small
of stature and a veritable crab on the
field, the. Trojan in addition to being a
sessed Of a head that has earned for
him the reputation of being one OF the
smartest players in base ball. AL
though he went broke in retail shoe
business in his home town OF Troy, n.
Y. his career on the diamond has been
an exceedingly profitable one. While
drawing a big salary paired with Joe
Tinker under the leadership of Frank
Chance the Cubs won several pennants
in the National League and, although
he failed as manager in Chicago, the
invasion of the base ball feld by the
Federal League made him much sought
after as q player. the National League
giving him $4,000 for signing with the
$4,000 year to play second base and
captain the team. He is credited with
having made it possible for the Braves
to win the world championship IN 1914.
but poor health caused him to slip
rapidly thereafter. Last season the
Phillies assumed his contract and in
stalled him in the infeld in the hope.
not realized. that he could land them
on top. Now Evers is in a position to
again bargain for his services. and the
betting is that he will land on both
feet before winter ends.
Announcement Is made that arrange
ments have been completed for series
Of exhibition games between the New
York Nationals and Cleveland Ameri-
cans in the training season next spring,
with games to be played at Dallas,
Houston, New Orleans. Memphis. Chat
ranooga. Louisville. Indianapolis and
made a tour with the Detroit Tigers
that drew large crowds wherever they
appeared. but the scrap Ty Cobb had
with Herzog caused President Nayin of
the Tigers to cancel a similar trip plan
ned for next year. This led to negotia-
tions between the Giants and Indians,
which now have been completed. AS
far as is known this tour is the only
interleague series planned for next
spring, most of the club owners in both
circuits being of the opinion that such
games do not benefit the teams and also
serve to decrease the interest of the
fans.