The Washington herald., 1918-01-27
SIX CLUBSFOR
Transfer Richmond Fran
chise to JerseyC City; Drop
Montreal and Buffalo.

! New York, Jan. 26.-The an
nouncement by Sam Lichtenheim,
owner of the Montreal Information
al League baseball club. that his
club would not start the season this
year, while not unexpected, has
caused a furry in baseball circles.
Following as 1t does close on the
heels of the forfeiture of the Buffa-
10 franchise and the virtual retire.
ment of Richmond 1t means that the
International League will have to
be redistricted before 1t can hope
to face the barrier next season.
This, however, instead of being q
blow to the hopes of the other club
owners is welcomed by them. 1t Is
said by those credited with being
lin the know" They assert II
paves the way for action long con-
templated by some Of the owners.
but who were restrained from act
ing because of the indecision OF GER
tain other owners. -.
For the last several years there
has been talk of changing the IN
ternational League circuit. but tine
fact that all the owners were deter
mined to hang onto their franenises
made this impossible. NOW tnat
| several of them have voluntarily re-
tired from the field the league IL at
| liberty to act.
II Is reported by an authoritative
source that the club owners may de-
| eide to operate with only six clubs
in the field this year. This could
be accomplished by transferring the
Richmond franchise to Jersey City
and permittinE the Buffalo and
Montreal franchises to remain va
cant.
II L. getting pretty late In the
winter to begin remodeling the cir
cult by arranging to transfer these
franchises, and the six-club league
seems to be the logical solution OF
the tangle il the league intends 70
toe the mark for another whirl IN
snite of the war. However, 1t may
1 he possible that the owners Will
make a determined effort TO go 10
hat with a full quota OF eight ciuos
on the firing line. -.
II ia known that business men OF
Paterson and Syracuse are Wiling 10
take a filler" and attempt to success
fully operate baseball clubs in those
cities. 1t Is barely possible that the
two franchises may be translerreu
to those places. This Is but a matter
of conjecture at this time.
Newark, Jersey City, Baltimore
Providence, Rochester and Toronto-a
six club league-would give the IN
ternational a compact circuit. TraV-
elIiny expenses would be reduced to
minimum and there Is not the
slightest doubt that interest in the
six cities would be just as keen as II
there were eight clubs in the league.
With such a circuit it would be
comparativeIy simple matter to ar
range a schedule in which there would
be no long jumps. The longest pos
sible lump would be from Toronto
to Baltimore, but this could be avoided
by so arranging the dates that neither
of these teams would have to make
! the trip without at least one stop
off for a series of games.
In this stress the league will miss
the expert services of Ed Barrow
who frequently has proved himself
master at strightening out just such
tangles. Were he still at the helm
there is not the slightest doubt that
the six CLUB league would be put
through for the duration Of the war
at least.
As it is, the league is without a
head. The league is scheduled to
meet in this city on February II, at
which time a president will be elected
IL the owners declare in favor Of
operating again this season.
The two leading candidates for the
position at this time are Arthur Irwin,
business manager of the Toronto
club. and Jim Price, president OF the
Newark club.