Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1917-11-15
ANOTHER LEAGUE MAY6
BE final OUTCOME
Wise Ones Say 1t VIII Mater
iaEize After Associations
Have Meeting
By H. c. Hamilton
nited Press staff correspondent

y
Louisville, KY Nov. Is. = When
Ispring again rolls around and the min
Or leagues get ready to swing open
their gates, Louisville, KY, and an al
legged case of cold feet may be the bat
tile cry of the radicals who have failed
to split the minor league organization
as it now stands.
With the National Association of
professional Baseball clubs closing its
,Iannual session here today, whispers
Eslipped around ho4el corridors and
;tstreet corners that another independ-
Lent league is in the embryo stage.
TWhen, the National league holds its
meeting in New York, December II,
land after the American association has
Finished its meeting in Chicago, De-
Ieemher IL Fsome very definite plans
may be announced, for the material
for good fire is in the stove and the
smoke is. mounting.
The new league is brand new idea.
lit hasn t been touched yet by anyone
and isn't even in a state from which
any predictions can be made, but there
Iare certain American association club
LpYners who believe it can be made to
/ pass the hard turns and there are In
\ teFpational club owners who feel the
dsame way about it.
r., Leaders are Fighters
These men are fighters and they
aren t ready to put back the thought
that they have been whipped In fact,
it is felt in some quarters that a GER
tain amount of organized baseball s
support may be counted ON for an in
dependent organization. Certain lead
ers have made statements that might
be construed in such fashion. Wheth-
! er the men would stick after a decla-
ration of independence was flung in
the teeth of those who refused to sane
ton a Encouragement of territory, is
somethilg that can t be said
| The defeat of the plan to redistrict
the leagues was more of surprise than
those behind the idea were willing to
admit today. Out of the 13 leagues
whose votes were cast there were at
least seven whose votes would be count
ed in wi h the new plan. They turned
their heels when the showdown came
and the defeat of the radical element
was turned into absolute rout. The In
ternational league and the Three-I
league were the only organizations in
the association to vote for the amend
ment that would have given new ter
ritory to every minor league in the
country. Al Tearney, as well as Ed Bar
row, saw the plan to save baseball wal
lowing in the dust of defeat.
Some Clubs Must Quit
There were well informed baseball
men, however, who saw the bright side
to the action Of the association, point
ling out the financial support, that
would have been given some club own
ters. Their arguments, however, found
opposition when it was shown that
some club owners will have to close
their gates next season. In the case of
the Western league, in fact, it was
announced that changes are absolutely
certain. 1t was stated by one club own
er of that circuit that six clubs may
be the only ones to open the season
when spring gets around to baseball
business.
st. Jospeh IS franchise, according to
Jack Holland, owner of that club, is
quite likely to be in Davenport, Ir.,
next year. The South Atlantic league
has only two clubs left from the wreck
that took place last summer. The Am
erican association will play only lac
games. The Pacific Coast league is go
ing to cut its season short.
Garry Hermann, chairman of the
national commission, warned the min
4 ors they must cut salaries and reduce
= the other expenses if they hope to sur
vive the war, &c. despite the stand
the association has made, it is regard
ed as certain that fewer leagues will
finish the season next summer that
were represented here at the annua
meeting.
Every club owner wears long face
land only tales of woe are heard. 1t is
agreed that minor leagues are in wors,
shape than ever before in history. They
deserve credit for their spirit in voting
to go on through.