New-York tribune., 1920-02-18
Fultz Circuit
Holds Schedule
Meeting To-day
Agreement Between Major
and Minor Leagues Also
To Be Considered
By w. !. Macbeth

The annual schedule meeting Of the
New International League will be hold
at the Hotel Imperial, this city, to-day.
At the annual meeting here in De-
cember, it was decided to play 154
games, condensed between April FL
and September 20 into Ave month
President David L. Fultz, chairman OF
the schedule committee, has the
draft of dates so we'll arranged that
the adoption of the schedule will or
should be only the matter Of mere
formality.
There are certain other topics Of
vital interest which will be discussed.
These have grown out Of the some
what chaotic conditions in baseball as
result of the abrogation Of the
agreement between the major and
minor leagues. The minor repre-
sentatives went to the big Chicago con-
ference last week hopeful of .e-
establishing some such sort Of work.
ing agreement with the majors as pre-
vailed in the good old days. Little
progress was made for two reasons.
SO soon as the dove of peace settled
among the belligerent factions of the
American League all the major league
magnates decided it was time to shake
hands with themselves. They saw IN
the settlement highly profitable pro-
motion saved from disruption through
internal friction. The celebration IS
still going on. Minor affairs for the
moment were forgotten.
And. secondly, though the peace
ho pf
Of the national commission chairman
ship tangle no successor as yet has
been named to assume the Office
which August Hermann resigned. It
is felt by the club owners Of the
major leagues that the new chairman,
whoever he may be, should have an
opportunity to display his fnesse in
the prospective readjustment of differ
ences with the major leagues.
acted as ringleaders, year ago, in
the acts that led up to the abroga-
tion Of the agreement. The Glass A
A leagues now realize their mistake.
Like the majors they suffered little as
a result of the split. But the life's
blood, the bone and sinew of~Class A
A and Glass A baseball has been
seriously affected.
The obscure minors, the little fell
lows who through patriotic pride
were enabled to operate by town sub
And not enough raw material Is being
developed to recruit the higher classes
Of the minor leagues.
The $1OO and $3.50 month player is
no longer known to the sticks. When
Class AA clubs attempt to interest even
untried rockies these talk in $500
terms. The big minors have felt the
kickback this spring. Few Of their
players have yet signed. Salary de-
mands at the existing~Salary limits
could never be met.
League magnates who were in town
yesterday declared openly that they
would vote to have the international
League rescind its rule against accept
ing players from the majors under op-
tional agreements. By doing so they
believe they can get the major castoffs
at more advantageous terms, as major
clubs are not adverse to the PROPOSE
tion of helping pay the tuition Of
embryo stars. The New International
League will be better able than a year
Of ball players. At the annual meet
ing it increased its salary limit from
$3,500 to $4,000 a month.
This salary limit, or rather strict
observance Of it, will be another bone
of contention. 1t is charged that in the
past many Of the first division clubs
paid little or no attention to the limit.
using every known subterfuge to cover
up "major" operations. The majority
of the clubs will attempt to throw more
rigid safeguards around the salary
limit, SO that all will be forced to
operate upon common footing.
A report from Baltimore last night
stated that Frank Baker had absolutely
decided to quit baseball The death
Of his wife dispelled whatever few
chances remained Of his returning to
the Yankees this year, he is said to
have declared.