The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-02-02
Eight Club Owners and
President Will Have
Hand In Schedule
SEASON LIKELY TO
OPEN MAY FIRST
Likely That Decision to
Abolish Southern Trips
Will Be Carried Out
lRx Associated Press.l

Chicago, Feb. with the sched-
uls meeting OF the American asso-
citation less than a month away, the
presidents and managers OF the eight
clubs today are studying railroad
time tables and calendars with a
view TO drafting a playing chart
The schedule meeting, to be held
in Milwaukee on Feb. 2S, promises to
be a lively session, for instead of ap-
pointing a schedule committee to
work out the problems, every club
owner will have his say-so. Thomas
j. Hickey, president of the associa-
ton, has advised every club owner
TO draw up a schedule and present
10 for consideration. There will be
at least eight charts. and possibly
nine offered, as Hickey is drawing
un a schedule himself
I'VE have decided 10 have every
club owner have a hand in the
schedule making, so as to avoid all
arguments later in the season that
thew were not treated fairly in the
question of dates" explained Presl-
dent Hickey. I'm previous years a
committee of usually three or four
drafted the schedule and while it
always has been apparently satis-
factory to a majority Of the clubs,
from some one in regard to holiday
and Sunday dates. We hope to do
away with these protests under the
new plan
Although there has been some agi-
tatfon for an earlier opening, Presl-
dent Hickey believes that l4O-game
schedule will be adopted, and that
tber season will start early in May
instead Of the middle of April as IN
former years. The decision to abolish
the southern training camp program
ne said, probably will be carried out
to the letter, although some OF the
clubs. including Milwaukee ana one
or two others, may train away from
bor1a A. F. Timme, president of the
milwaukee, club, contends that hlgn,
cbfIllng winds sweeping off Lake
EiCklEsu make, Il advisable to train
In some other city. Peoria, Beloit'
and Madison have been mentioned IN
this connection.
Freak Pitching Is Doomed
President Hickey will make a de-
tArunined effort to stamp out the
"spit ball" and other freak pitch-
ing In order to have a thorough
understanding in this regard, lheI
managers and eight umpires will beI
called into a conference a day OF SO
before the opening of the season 10
discuss the rules.
II am going to have all. the man
ayers and umpires meet IN Chlcaso
and go over the entire queSIIoH
thoroughly, so there VIII be no eN
-uae for a pitcher not conforming 70
the rules" President Hickey sald.
Il do not anticipate any serious ,IE
trorhle as the rule was passed 10y
1tnonin,oua vote. believe all are no"
Sgraed that il will be a good thing!
predIct that producing hVeller
batting contest will help the game
IN uch an extent that no one VIII
ever want to go back to the old syS-
Predictions that the rule will be
slf7r1,It 70 enforce are not seriously
~onsidered by the American assoc
citation executive, who maintains
that the umpircs will be able 10 oS
tact any tampering with the p@li'
The first offense will cost the pitch-
81 a SIS fine and the second VIOLA
tipn will result in more drasLlC pun
7sbTnent. The umpires will be IN
strTrte6 TO throw winged" balls
halls that have been damaged from
the contact with the grandstands or
other objects-Out Of the game:
JTbo next call for the army, Presi-
dent Hickey believes, will give the
,rT,1b owners a better line on the
number of players who will be lost
10 the military service.
.'To date not many have been
taken" he said. However, I believe
we shall have no trouble in obtain
ing players under and over the draft
sre to supplement those who have
dependents and thus we shall he
able to maintain a good standard OF
yo1av"