New Britain herald., 1918-07-20

league will wind up their
8ue games this afternoon. Hart
ford, New Haven, Springfield and
Providence, while four other clubs
will terminate the season tomorrow
afternoon, Worcester playing at
Rridgeport and New London at Wa
terbury.
The Eastern league anticipated
some such decision as this, as can be
seen from the meeting that was held
in the Hotel Taft, New Haven, last
Monday afternoon in order to talk
over the ACCESSIBILITY of finishing out
the schedule, or taking advantage OF
the National associations ruling that
allows a league to preserve its terri
torial rights and reserve its players
if it plays half of the original Sched-
ule. At that time the club owners
could arrive at no decision with re-
gard to continuance or suspension,
and at the close of the session 1T was
declared that the matter had been
left in the hands of President O'Neil
to investigate and find out what eff
feet the Crowder order might be eX-
pected to have on baseball. The Baker
decision yesterday afternoon COM
pletely wiped away all doubts as to
the scope of that order and as to
basebalIs status towards complying
with it, and as a result the Eastern
league executive Immediately ordered
a suspension for the remainder of
the season.
President O'Neil pointed out last
night that the Eastern league might
have taken advantage before of the
National association ruling regarding
league finishing half of its season,
but the club owners wanted to finish
out the schedule and give the public
baseball, if such was at all possible.
However, under this ruling by Secre-
tary Baker, he declared, it was ut1
terly impossible for any minor league
to recruit the players necessary to fill
up the spots that will be left vacant
by the ball players who must now
conform to the work or fight order,
and as a result the Eastern league
must suspend for the remainder of
the schedule.
The effect of this ruling upon the
Eastern League clubs is almost sweep
ing. This league in normal years is
made up of young ball players trying
out in professional baseball cidcles,
and older ball players who have gone
I'D but come back for various rea-
y
ball player has not been very notice
alI around the diamonds in minor
leagues, because Of the large number
nf voluntary enlistments under the
draft age and because of the very
good nav that they are receiving in
manufacturing plants engaged upon
war work. The older ball players
have not come back from the leagues
- Hior1ey classification as in other
wears, because of the scarcity of ball
nlavers has compelled these leagues
to hang on to whatever they had, in
order to fill up the ranks of the draft
ed and enlisted players. Consequent
Nv. there is hardly club in the cir
cult that would have over two players
left, outside of the manager, in the
face of this ruling by the secretary OF
war, making it impossible for the
ranks of the clubs to be filled in or
der to keep on with the schedule
The Hartford club, for example, could
retain only one player, Catcher Joe
Briger, a veteran Of minor league eX
perience. as all of the others are sub
lect to this "Work or fight" order
There have been times in the pas
when Hartford knew what it was tt
see leagues started early in tht
spring and disband before the SEIZED
ulc was completed but this the frs
time that il has happened in many
Tears, in fact since James H. Clarkir
The present owner, took over the
Franchise in the old Connection
League. Jim C1arkin bought tho
Hartford franchise in the midst of the