The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1920-11-09
NEW TWELVE CLUB
COMBINATION To
REPLACE LEAGUES
Three American League Clubs
Join the Nationals
BIG CHANGE IN BASEBALL
New Organization Would Give New
York. Boston and Chicago
Two Teams Each.

Chicago, Nov. 9.7-The major leagues
Yesterday were broken up and new
twelve club league, composed Of the
o.snl lHalIOndl league cubs ana the
three from the American league which
have sided with them IN the pans IOi
reva sdni1alion OF the game was organ
ized. A twelfth member will be cnos-
en iatef II was announced.
Organization OF the new league came
after Tie nye American league cubs
refused 10 reply to an ultlmltum lssu-
"a by the otner eleven clubs giving
tnefn an hour ana ha to JON IN
the reorganization.
After organizing the new league the
baseball nagnates proceeded Mltn the
Lasker plan lor CIVILIAN control OF pro
fesIonal baseball and appointed
Judge kenesaw NJ. Landis OF Chicago
chairman OF the tribunal whicn wlll
govern the game.
Judge Lands, II he accepts the posi-
tlon. will be the supreme dictator Of
all leagues Joining the plan, and will
receive saiary OF $4,000 a year
Second and third members OF the
tribunal will be appointed later. and
one of them will be chosen from the
minor leagues. Representatives of the
new league left tonight for Kansas
CITY, where the National Association
of Minor Leagues meets tomorrow to
present the proposition to them.
The minor league members would
serve for SIX years, while Judge Lands
would be given "A contract for seven
years, according to a statement made
after the meeting by the club owners.
Judge Lands was notified of his ap.
p0intment by committee of five mem
bers, and he told them he would take
the matter under advisement for few
days.
4The plans for the new league and a
new controlling body contain frequent
reference to the minor leagues which
are given assurance that they will not
be Overlooked in administration Of the
game, and that Their territory vii not
be invaded In selecting the twelfth
member of the new league.
The action came after an all day ses-
sion Of both factions in the organi2a.
tion plans with neither side yielding
to the other. At 2,30 p. M the joint
session issued an ultimatum to the
Johnson clubs telling them that they
could either come over and take part
in the meeting, which would be COVER
ned by a majority vote or a new lea
que would be formed. Failing TO hear
from the five American League clubs
the other eleven clubs went ahead with
their announced plans.
The five clubs which stood with
Johnson in the fight are Detroit, Phi a
delphia Cleveland, Washington and
ST. Louis. Tonight they maintained
that the new league would have nc
effect on them.
ave are the majority of the Ameri
can League and consequently are the
American League Clark Griffith OF
the Washington club said.
"The American League will operate
this year with or without the Chicago
New York and Boston clubs"
The new league will give New York
Chicago and Boston two clubs in the
same league. Brooklyn also is includ
ed. giving Greater New York three re
presentatives. The other members
were Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, st. Louis
(National), Phi adelphia (National
and the twelfth member yet to be
chosen.
Previous to today's action, members
of Johnsons solid five" had declared
that the three American League clubs
would not be able to take their player;
into the new league maintaining thai
the players on a club belonged to the
league under contract preYiou ll
made, This factor they said, wou(
give the five remaining Americar
League clubs additional strength, aut
enable them to proceed with organiza
tion OF a new American League. In
dividual cub owners said they woulC
'nght to the last court" before allow
Ing any player to be taken over by
the new league
President Johnson and several of hi'
friends left tonight for Kansas City
apparently having been informed pri
vately of The action taken by tn,
eleven clubs. Most of the other base
hall men also left as soon as the an
nouncement of the new league wa
made. and two hours after the actor
was taken only a few men connected
with major league clubs were in thl
city,