Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-03-13
See Good Season For
Baseball Leagues
BY Associated Press.

by ASSOCIATED Press.
New York. March 13.-In forecast
ing successful season for the minor
league baseball clubs thruout the
United States and Canada, Secretary
John H. Farrell of the national ASSOC
citation. said few days ago, 81 be-
lieve the general prospect for 1920 in
the various sections of this country
and Canada were never better. The
people are turning to amusements
and outdoor sports for recreation in
greater numbers than ever before.
Last year the minor league clubs EN-
joyed their most prosperous season
in five years past. This era Of pros
perity extended to all leagues in
every section OF the country and to
the far off Western Canada League
in the provinces of Saskatchewan
and Alberta. The minor leagues have
flourished under the national asso-
citation government as never before
in the history of BASEBALL
According to the annual report
read at the convention Of minor
league club owners held at Spring
field, Mass, last November, fifteen
leagues employing nearly $500 play
ers began the 1919 season and thirteen
Of these finished their official playing
schedule. The International North
western league closed down on June
7, but the New England League paid
its players Ii full for the full term
Of the schedule which ended Sept. /,
altho the league closed It's season on
Ang. 2.
This year the pennant winning
leagues Of 1919. Pacific Coast, Amer
lean Association, International West
ern, Southern. Eastern Association
Texas. Michigan Ontario. Three ],
South Atlantic. Western Canada. vir-
ginia and Florida State are all ready
for the coming season. So are the
New England and reconstructed
North Western organizations and in
addition there Is great activity in re-
viving or reorganizing others with
every promise OF many of them be-
ing ready to begin play early in May.
Among these are the Blue Ridge,
Corn Belt, Cotton States, Illinois
Missouri. Central Association Okla
homa Kansas. New Florida, Georgia,
Alabama and Nebraska State
leagues.
The national association Of Minor
Baseball Leagues which has been so
productive of good results and the
welfare of the national game was or
ganized just twenty years ago. At
the outset 1t was composed Of
leagues but three years later it had
% members and in 1912 1t reached
the top notch of so league members
In that year those fifty league MEM
bers embraced 33s cities and towns in
the United States and Canada. The
launching Of the Federal League
made inroads on the minors as well
as on the major leagues and in 1915.
owing to this cause and the outbreak
Of the European war, the membership
dropped to forty. The three follow
ing years, during which every corner
of the world was interested in the
great struggle being fought on Euro
pean battlefields, there was only
meager Interest taken in baseball, but
a revival set in last. year with won
derfully assuring results and 1t is
hoped by the beginning of the play
ing season one year hence there will
be thirty leagues operating and that
two years more will find the national
association operating with men,
bership equal to It's banner year.