Evening star., 1918-02-19

I'arrcll's rosy view of the situation was
not shared hy the mo@uls in attendance
at the recent league meetings in New
York. 4 majority of them we're unwilling
10 concede that more than three-the
American Associat on. southern and Pa
cific Coast would be in the field this year
and some doubted that the latter organi-
zation would go through the season.
That the Base Ball Players Fraternity.
which last winter was 50 prominent in
the public eye. is not altogether dead yet,
although for months in a state of innocu- :
Gus desuetGde, is shown by the action of
the New York supreme court in issuing
an order requiring President Frazee OF
the Boston Americans to show cause to-
day why he should not be- punished for
contempt of court for his alleged failure
to pay Kurt w Hagerman, a pitcher
$2.326 the player claims is due him. The
raternity claims the Red Sex violated
Haeerinans contract when they let hun
out in i3l2. The fraternity obtained a
Judgment against the club last fan for
the amount named and contends it never
was paid.
Aunouncement of Ed Barrow. new
manager of the Red SoX. that his intield
this year will be composed of Hobiit
zell at first, McInnis at second. Scott at
short ard SciianS at third. may be dc-
.cepted with mental reservations. SchanS
probably can come nearer knocking
down any first baseman. with his bull
let-lke line throws than any guardian
of the hot corner in eNistance. but
Schang is not third baseman. al
though he can hit like a mule kicks
Larry Gardner. much as he slipped
last year. has q contract calling for
more money than c. Mack cares to pay.
1t is doubtful for this reason that he
viii be transferred to the Athletics.
1r1y~ hs. Ia
to beat ont the veteran for the third
base job unless Gardner slips still far
ther. Scott's right to the shortstop-
ping job is undisputed, but it is unlike
Is Barrow viii tinker with one OF the
best first basemen in the business in an
effort to convert him into a second
sacker as he said he intends to do in
the case of McInnis. Evers. although
only a shadow of his former self. will
be more valuable at second than Me-
InniS could become with two years of
steady drilling.
One of the most important duties of
secondsacker is touching runners
coming into the bag. and persons ia
he never will be able TO stand in the
path of pair of shining spikes headed
in his direction. With Hoblitzen to
play first it is more likely that McInnis
will be tried out at third, where he
would be better adapted than at sec
ond and where he would have less
touching out of runners to do. Connie
Mack. who brought Stuffy out and is
assumed to know something of his ca
pabilities, questioned on the subject in
New York last week, said:
That's all a bunch of gossip they're
handing out about Stuffy. McInnis going
to play second base for the Red Sox.
Nothing to it, for, second base
man McInnis is the best little first
baseman in the business. I don't al
ways guess right, but paste it in your
hat that McInnis never will make good
at the keystone bag. and l think the
Red Sox will show the proper judg-
ment and not even try to make a sec
ond baseman out of him.
The Ang1o-American League, an over
seas professional base ball organiza-
ton to be composed of six clubs, has
been launched in England with the
permission of the British war office, ac-
cording to w. A. Parsons, who is in
New York looking for players. London,
Brighton and Paris are sure of places
in the league. and three teams will be
located at camps, with representation
likely for AiX-ies-B Baines and Vichy,
recreation centers for American troops.
The league is to play a five-lnonth sea-
son. opening April 1 and closing Sep
tenber /. Arlie Latham, the old Brown
third baseman and former coach OF
the Giants. who promoted the Ameri-