The Bridgeport times and evening farmer. (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1918-1924, 1918-02-11
Baseball
NOtableS
Assemble
International, National and
American League Club
Owners to Meet in New
York to Discuss Future of
Game.

New York, Feb. 1.-THE winter
! league season of 1917-191S will ex-
pire this week, when the National,
American and International leagues
stage their final meetings before
spring training begins. The Inter
national League will decide it's fate at
the Hotel Imperial today, the National
will meet at the Waldorf tomorrow
and the American League will assem-
BILE at the Walcott next Thursday.
Several clubs in the International
: League, notably Baltimore and Toron-
! to, are exceedingly anxious to have
the big minor league attempt another
] start, but it is doubtful if the other
clubs, who favored suspension of
operations for 1918, have changed
their minds since last December.
Newark would be willing to string
along with Toronto and Baltimore,
but all the other clubs favor suspen-
sion. ~
The Buffalo franchise was declared
forfeited at the last meeting of the
league, and if Lichtenhein of Montreal
is unable to sell his franchise he will
give it up. Under no conditions will
he back his club for another year.
Providence, Rochester and Richmond
continue to oppose all talk of operat-
ing next season.
From present indications the league
will suspend for the period of the war,
I but will continue to maintain some
sort of a skeleton organization. Presi-
dent Barrows resignation will be &C
cepted and in all probability only a
nominal successor will be elected No
salaried executive will be required for
the coming season if the league does
not take the field.
Both the National and American
Leagues will adopt their schedules
during the coming meetings, but this
is only a routine matter. The Eastern
section of the American league will
open on April Is, which falls on a
Monday, and the National League and
the Western wing of the American
League will open on Tuesday April
16.
Legislation of considerable import
ance will come before both leagues
At the recommendation of Presidents
Tener and johnson the leagues will
vote to pay the war indemnities to
the former Federal League promoters
which has been held up owing to the
suit of the Baltimore Federal League
directors AS Sinclair, the Ward es-
tate, the Gwinner sf Pittsburgh
threatened immediate suit if this
money was not forthcoming, it was
decided best to pay it, even with the
Baltimore question still unsettled.
An effort to abolish the spitball a1sc
will be made by opponents to this
form of delivery in both leagues. The
American Association voted to abol.
ish the spitball entirely in it's organi-
zation, and Barney Dreyfuss of the
p Pittsburgh club favors similar actor
in the major leagues. However, it i!
not likely that the splitter will be ex
lied Immediately. While Presiden
Tener of the National League is op
posed to the spitball, he would givt
pitchers using it an allotted time tt
learn a new delivery. The governo
has suggested that a two year notict
would answer the purpose
An effort also will be made in boil
leagues to repeal the action taken a
the joint meeting of the two majo
leagues to charge the regular price
'. next season, plus the governments 1
per cent. war tax. This would meal
general admission prices of 27 cents
55 cents and SO cents.
Since the December meeting referre,
to, many of the secretaries and bust
ness managers of clubs ahve pointe
out what such a scale of prices wouI
mean, especially a scale of prices sue
as the Polo Grounds, where rs cent
is the general admission. The prob
lem of making change for SO cents O
a busy Saturday afternoon on the Pol
Ground will be a difficult one.
President Hampstead of the Giant
said he would rather charge 80 cent
and lose 8 cents than to attempt t
charge SO cents. President Frazee {
the Red Sox has offered a suggestio
which received considerable attention
namely, to charge 80 cents, 55 cent
and so cents. and donate what wa
over the amount of the ticket and til
war tax to the Red Cross.
Charley Ebbets of the Brooklyn cit
pointed out yesterday that this wou
not be feasible, and that it also wou
be Illegal. You cannot charge a pc
son. for contribution to a charity o
ga1ization if he does not want to pa
for it. Ebbetss new changing mi
chine really looks like the best sol