The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-03-20
INTERNATIONAL NAY
QUIT BASEBALL
Several Club Owners Have Already Init
mated That They Are Opposed to
Continuing Under Present
Unsettled Conditions.

Minor league magnates are awaiting
with unusual interest the outcome of the
meeting of the international league
scheduled TO be held in New York on
Monday, March %. The conference will
be the second since the annual meeting
OF the league was adjourned late in De
cember, II is expected that at the com
ing session the club owners will decide
definitely whether the organization will
continue its circuit during the season of
| 1918 or abandon play for the duration of
| the war. Such evidence as is available
in advance would appear TO indicate that
the league will operate this summer
Several of the club owners have clear
! ~ intimated that they are opposed to a
continuation OF play under the present
unsettled conditions, incidental to the
war. Others stand ready to back base
ball for another season at least, but Just
which side will hold the majority vote
cannot be stated before the day OF the
meeting If il is decided to discontinue
the schedule there is a bare possibility
that one or more of the clubs will form
new league by joining hands with other
city combinations which have in past
seasons been a part OF lower cIassifica
tion circuits.
A decision on the part of the Inter
national league to drop out would be
severe blow to organized baseball, for the
association is one OF the pioneers among
the minor leagues and steady and inn
portant factor in the development of the
game and of players for major league
circuits. The league was organized in
1892 and continued without break un
til the close of the 1917 season. During
the initial year two-season schedule
was played but since 1898 the pennant
race has been along the lines OF the ma.
jors.
Providence with six championship pen
nants to its credit leads all the cities |
which have at various times held mem
bership in the organization. Rochester |
comes next with five and Buffalo and /
Toronto are tied with four each, while |
Binghampton, Erie, Syracuse, Springfield, |
Montreal, Jersey City. Baltimore and |
Newark have each captured one titular I
flag.
The outcome of the conference is likely /
to have distinct bearing upon the de-
cision of other minor leagues in relation
to their plans Tor the coming season.
Several of these organizations are in
rather an uncertain frame OF mind re-
garding the financial outlook for baseball
on the smaller circuits during 1918 and
are likely to be swayed to some extent,
by the example set by the international
league club owners. Up to the present
time less than half of the leagues which
segan the 1917 season have prepared and
their schedules for 1915
Even under the most favorable condi-
ions it is not expected that there will be
he same number of organizations OPP
rating as was the case II months ago
The records show that some % leagues !
opened the season year ago and that
bout 70 per cent played through the ;
eason or the major portion of the same.
n 1916 "a leagues were in operation and ]
he year previous the number was five i,
more, while in 1914 the lists show more !
han 40 leagues in the various classified j
ions throughout the country.