The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-11-01
EsBASEBALL TAKES
TURN FOR BETTER
nc
Now Looks as if the Factions
Soon Would Be Getting
Together.
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4. FOLLOW OUR LEAD
srGr
~
FOLLOW OUR LEAD
That's What Pioneers in Move
ment for Reorganization
Say Of Johnson Five.
by WILLIAM II. HANNA.

], AS soon as one clears himself of the
Immense amount OF words and intermi-
Unable sentences of the statement of the
johnson "loyal five" in reply to the de-
: mand for baseball reform. two aspects
oof the case present themselves. One is
2 that the five are still opposed to
rboard of control of the personnel adj
vocated by the eight National and three
American League clubs, the pioneer
rarity in the movement for the games
uplift from worn out methods of gov
fernmen-
7 The other is that the way having been
pointed out to them by the National
American coalition they are making
suggestions for reconstruction which
: are patterned after the original sugges-
tons of the broader visioned progress
sives. In short they are following the
Hleven's lead. Credit, however. must be
, given them for waking up and doing
! that. and as result of the meeting or
slhe so-called loyal five. baseball men re-
4 gard as favorable the outlook for set
arlement of differences Members of the
/. Eleven think the factions soon Will be
'.getting together.
- But the Eleven want action and quick
faction and purpose having it. Ban John-
son, anent his proposed committee OF
mine and the plan 1t Is TO work out. says
something about further consideration
and report" Says George w. Grant
Boston magnate, and one OF the pro-
gressives, of that phase of it
1--WE are pretty near through with the
talking stage We've had enough of that
in the failure to select a chairman for
the National Commission. and we are
not going TO stand for indefinite waste
Of time while committees are reporting
-.Bach and forth. AT that rate we wouldn't
be getting any further than we've been
!, doing under the commission.
"Still. regard the outlook as favor
able. though it looks as though john
sons people. in making recommendations
which are along the lines OF ours, are
trying to save their faces They have
"a lot to say about practical men being
I. needed for the control OF the govern
! ment of the game. They descant on ex-
perience being needed. Why. we elect
. to the Presidency Of the United States a
/. man who never had any experience In
y the position, but then I suppose baseball
is more important than that.
u. "If /. had son and he couldn't learn
in three months all that was necessary
. about the business part of baseball Ia
want to hit him in the head with an
axe. This board of control Is not in
tended to run the internal affairs OF
leagues or clubs. / am capable Of run
ming my own club, but certainly II l do
anything wrong or not for the good OF
the game there ought to be supreme
tribunal to get after me. Then again. no
/. new board of control could do any
worse In keeping the game above re-
proach than has been the case as base
ball has been rum"
Rather rich references to eminent but
inexperienced" men when the regime of
experienced men hasn't prevented certain
:. happenings in baseball from getting the
game into the hands Of Grand-Jury
Mr.. johnson and his five clubs propose
q committee of nine, three each from the
American, National and minor leagues,
" to work out plan of reorganization.
Referring to the Lasker plan. the john
son statement has this:
.. 1T appears that the National Asso-
: citation of Professional Baseball Leagues
(minor leagues) have thus far had no
part in the working out OF this plan, nor
does 1t appear that the plan contemplates
permitting them to have proper voice
or influence in the proposed reorganiza-
ton"
- The acute solicitude Of the American
League five for the welfare OF the minors
: IL all we'll enough, but the fairness and
Justice Of letting the minors have voice
in the reconstruction OF baseball govern
ment was recognized and provided for
by the National-American Eleven at
their meeting on October IS, at which
meeting, by the way. why didn't the
Johnson five appear and present their
views instead Of flocking off by them
selves? Which would have been the
bigger. broader. all for the good Of the
game course. to attend the meeting or
do as they did?
The Johnson five propose committee
of nine to work out plan of reorganiza-
ton; the Allied Eleven propose board
of control. in the selection of which the
. Recommendations of the minors be in
vited and considered" The Johnson five
propose q committee Of nine the Eleven
4 propose a drafting committee to meet
with a minor league committee, and the
(. two Jointly to prepare and submit new
agreement. In the Eleven's document
telling Of the abrogation OF the late
agreement between the two major
: leagues were the following sections:
That this board OF control and its chair
man shall be selected by a majority vote Of
the clubs OF the National League and the
clubs OF the American League who shall on
or before November 1. 1920. have signifed
their acquiescence In the plan provided In
these resolutions. at n meeting hereby called
I, to be held In Chicago November 9. 1920. In
the selection of the members OF such board
= OF control tho recommendations of the minor
leagues shall be invited and considered.
drafting committee shall be appointed
at the meeting on November > TO meet with
"a committee TO be selected by the National
Association OF Professional Baseball Leagues,
' the duty OF which Joint COMMITTEES shall be
i, forthwith, forthwith, 70 prepare and submit to all pro
: new agreement hereby provided for.
However. II doesn't matter much
whether It Is a committee of nine or a
committee of six - two from the Ma
- tional, two from the American. two from
= the National Association, such as the
= Eleven say was proposed at their meet
:. ing-just 80 something Is done. To
!. which side will belong the credit for
reorganization Is a matter Of second
airy Importance. In the words OF Col
. Rupert as well AZ George Grant, there
Ills no reason why the two parties
shouldn't get together"