Evening journal., 1918-12-09
TUKULTUOUS WEEK
AHEAD IN BASEBALL
National American. and In
/ ternational Leagues Will
Hold Meetings
HERMANN SURE
TO co AS HEAD

baseDau races tumultuouS time THIS
week. In fact. the baseball meetings
TO be held In the next six days are as
momentous 10 the sport as arc the
peace conferences 10 be held In Paris TO
the future conduct Of the world. The
new International League began It's an
nual meeting at the Hotel Imperial,
New York, today, the National league
VIII swing into action tomorrow at the
Waldorf, while the American League
will so 20 bat in Chicago on Thurs
day.
As the world war revealed how condi-
tiOns Of absolutlsm and militarism
made the colossal conflict a possibility
so it opened the eyes Of many American
sportsmen TO the conditions which have
been existing in'baseball, Of which the
scandals and uprislngs Of baseball were
merely the effects.
Many smart baseball men, however,
had recognized the needs Of reform In
baseball long before the war, and the
war merely accentuated some Of the
evils In the sport.
For Instance, many men in and out OF
baseball have seen for some tome that a
new chairman OF the National Commits
sion was one Of the greatest needs Of
tho sport. Every winter there would be
rumors that August Hermann would be
dropped, but Just as regularly when the
annual meeting Of the commission was
held Hermann was reelected.
At a matter aof Justice TO Hermann IL
might be said that for years he proved
70 be an able and fair head Of the com
mission, though he always was a strong
johnson man, and was easily swayed by
the president Of the American League.
had It not been for that II is needless
10 say that the American League would
not have stood for him for fifteen
years.
However, his lack Of backbone in the
Scott Perry case, when he apparently |
showed no resentment to the attitude |
Of Johnson when the latter cast aside |
the commissions ruling, put him In bad |
odor with the entire National League.
The Natnonal League will not tolerate |
Hermann further as a commission /
chairman. Il seldom was so unanimous /
on one subject. According tol Harry |
Hampstead Of the Giants, who leads the |
men favoring reorganization, the Is
sue Is not a personal one with him.
Il do not think IL Is a personal ISSUE"
said Hampstead. II know / have no
thought OF persons myself. Only | feel
that baseball Is In need Of q new sys-
TEN Of government"
Speaking on the same subject, acting
President Heydler Of the National
League is Of the opinion that the club
owners Of his league want to elect a
neutral chairman TO get away from the
idea that the National League has any
the best Of lt.
"For years there has been talk about
the National League having the best OF
10 on the commission" said Heydler.
The public also possibly has enter
tained such an opinion. Our men want
10 get away from that, and for that rea-
son think baseball would be better serv-
cd with a neutral chairman Of the COM
mission"
How the American League stands on
the commission chairmanship will prove
an interesting development. Johnson no
doubt Will put up a,1ght for his COM {
panion Of the "old guard" but 1t is {
questionable II he can have him In
dorsed. While there was no grand
hurrah in the American League TO back {
Harry Frazee when he and Hampstead '
approached Mr.. Taft TO act as a one 8
man commissioner this was due 10
Frazees personal unpopularity In the
American League more than anything
else. 10 is believed that New York, :
Boston, Washington, Chicago and Phiia-
delphia are anti-Herrmonn and will de-
clare for a neutral commission head.
Col. Rupert Of the Yankees has not
had much 10 say as to how he stands,
A. a - mToFf /
preached Rupert said he favored the
former President II he could give suffl-
cient time TO the task. Were Col. Hus-
ton. the other Yankee owner, In Amer
ioa he unquestionably would take his
place among the American League in
surgents, as distance has not made the
genial Gap" grow any fonder Of GER
tain men In baseball, judging from
some pointed letters he has sent 20
friends.