Evening star., 1920-02-08
TURBULENT TIMES
NOW confronting
DIAMOND LEADERS
Election of National Commits
sion Chairman and Other
Matters Presage Turmoil.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

special Dispatch TO The Star
CHICAGO, ILL.,, February 1T is
hard to guess at this time which
will be the more exciting. the base
ball meeting here next week or the
republican national convention in
June. History will be made at each
The base ball men contemplate
electing a new chairman for the ma
lion commission. Many of the big
men of the country have been men
toned as candidates. Those who
are rejected may hang around until
the republicans assemble in June
and possibly one Of them might get
job as President of the United
States.
With only three days remaining
before the day of election. not
nagnate will venture to guess who
will be chosen for the big base ball
job. The National League commit
tee will suggest several names.
One side may act cautiously. fear
ing trickery on the part of the rival
magnates. In the American League
are two factions, and each faction
will suspect the other
1t looks like a meeting of turmoil
and trouble. 1t seems an impossib
task for any one to bring all fac
tions together and produce har-
mony. Perhaps it will make little
difference II the row continues, as
one thing is certain: On April "a the
old game will start again and the
fans will not care whoop what the
m af s,,ty Or
Peace seems Far Awny.
But the game on the field will he
conducted better if there is no fric-
ton in the official machinery behind
it. Perhaps a man can he found for
the job of chairman of the commits
sion who will be acceptable to all.
and. if so. he may do much to restore
harmony among the men who con-
duct the national pastime. However.
at the present time it looks as if that
needed peace and harmony is far
away.
Not only will all sixteen clubs q
the major leagues be gathered here
next week. but three separate minor
leagues will meet. and representa-
tives Of other minor leagues will be
here in an official capacity. The
American Association will hold a ses-
sion Monday to adopt a schedule. The
Three-Eye and the Western leagues
also will meet. All told. it will be
the biggest gathering of base ball
men in about eighteen years.
Action will be started tomorrow.
when members of the major league
rules committees will meet informal
ly to talk over proposed changes
which will come up officially Monday.
President Veeck of the Cubs. Baker
of the Phillies. Griffith Of Washing
ton and Mack of the Athletics are
the men on the committee. The abo-
Htion Of all freak deliveries is ad-
vocated by a majority Of the CLUB
owners of each league. Some rule
undoubtedly Will be formed to do
changes are suggested. one the abo-
lition of the out-by-foul fly. rule
proposed by Manager Mitchell OF the
Cubs. 1t will be discussed.
Schedule Meetings. Tuesday.
On Tuesday the National and the
American leagues will hold their
schedule meetings separately. Little
but the adoption of the dates will be
done by the older organization. but
there is sure to be a hot time in the
American League session when the
two factions get together in one
room.
1t looks as II the same five clubs
which supported him in the Decem-
Der meeting will stand by President
johnson once more. leaving the three
others unable to accomplish anything.
st. Louis. Detroit. Cleveland. Wash
ineton and Philadelphia are on one
are on the other. The vote was
to 3 on issues that came up in De-
cember. 1t looks as il it VIII oe
5 to again. The schedule. however
may be adopted by a unanimous vote
Wednesday will be the big day OF
In In
come together in a joint session Az
this meeting the new chairman OF the
Commission is likely to be selected
and formally elected afterward at
meeting Of the commission. II may
take more than one day to come 70
it may be that no agreement can De
reached, in which case Garry Herr
man. Cincinnati magnate. who mas
filled the place ever since tne com
mission was formed in 1908, may De
induced to withdraw his resignation
ture date.
Other Matters to Come %.
Many other things that the Two
leagues have in common VIII oe
brought up at the joint session, one
of which will be proposal to raise
prices of admission to all ball parks
Some Of the magnates oppose the
n,an. notably President Comiskey OF
tho White Sox, but 1t seems quite
certain a majority think boost nee
essarv to meet the increased cost OF
operation.
Following the joint session OF the
majors there will be gathering OF
majors and minors to discuss new
agreement. This may lead to draw
ing up new national agreement.
hut at present it looks as if each side
is passing the buck to the other:
The majors appear to act as II tne
and the minors appear to act as II
they have been invited to come in;
so the whole thing may result In
nothing and things will go on as they
did last year. when the asreement
~aa aholished maki,e it ir,noSsihle
FOR the big fellows to draft players from