New-York tribune., 1921-12-04
Major Leagues
Interested as
Minors Convene
Draft Question Promises
Fireworks at To-morrow's
Annual Meeting al Buffalo
By Jack Lawrence

Inc annual convention Of the Ma
tional Association of Baseball Leagues
will open at Buffalo tomorrow
and will probably continue for the bet
ter part of the week. In many respects
it will be the most important conven-
tion the affiliated minor leagues have
ever held, and it will be attended by
many prominent figures from the two
major organizations. 1t is highly prob
able that every club In the National
and American leagues VIII be repre-
sented.
The convention last year was held IN
Kansas City and was one Of the great
est in point Of attendance that the
miner leaguers had ever staged, but
this years meeting is certain to eclipse
the one of year ago in its important
bearing on baseballs future. The
major leagues are vitality interested in
the questions to come before the Buff
falo session and their influence will be
brought to bear in the final disposition
of these matters.
Both New York clubs, the Giants and
Yankees, will be represented by for
midable delegations. The owners OF
the Yanks, Colonels Rupert and Hus-
ton, leave for the scene Of the big
pow WOW this afternoon, and with
them will go Ed Barrow, secretary Of
the club, and Miller Higgins, manager
Of the team.
The Giants viii be represented By
John j. McGraw, part owner of ths
club, ard James J. Tierney, its secre-
tary.
Moguls and Stars Coming
Executive heads Of the various big
league clubs Will not be the only rep
resentatives of the majors to add bril-
lance to the Buffalo meeting. Many
stars Of the diamond will also he there
for the purpose Of settling various
matters affecting them personally.
There is no reason to believe that the
meeting is to be carried off without
some political fireworks. The delegates
from the Pacific Coast have come East
with the avowed intention of announc-
ing to the world that they object to
being looked upon as minor leaguers,
and there are indications that their at
titude may establish precedent that
will be followed by other minor organi-
cations and which may prove decidedly
troublesome to the major circuits.
According to representatives OF the
Pacific Coast League who have made
New York port of call on their way
to Buffalo, that organization is feel
ing highly Independent and is anxious
to have as little to do with the majors
as possible The Westerners are op-
posed to the draft in any form or at
any price and apparently are not going
to hesitate to tell the majors this in
no uncertain terms. They consider the
Do An
zation and, Judging from their state
ments here, they will submit to no die
tation from the two big circuits.
Landis to Open Meeting
Unless the presence of Judge Kene
saw Mountain Lands, high commits
sioner Of basebell, has pacfying in
fuence, the stand of the revolutionary
Californinas may throw a wrench into
the machinery of the convention. The
meeting will be officially opened by
Judge Landis, who is expected to make
speech that will carry potent mes
sage to the baseball world in general.
He will undoubtedly express his views
on the draft situation, which is one OF
the most important and difficult mat
ters that will be taken up.
Whether the Judge can bring the op
posing factions together on this con-
tentious question remains to be seen.
The majors are anxious to have the
minors adopt a new and farreaching
draft regulation that will cover all tho
leagues and baseball associations within
the scope of the minors.
This proposition was discussed at tho
Kansas City meeting a year ago, with
no very favorable result. AT that time
the New international. the American
Association and the Pacific Coast League,
together with some Class A and Class
organizations. voted to keep out Of the
draft" and refused to permit their play
ers to be absorbed by the majors through
the process of allotment that had been
in practice prior to the major-mnor
war of 1918.
This resulted in a curtailment Of the
draft system which apparently has not
worked out to the benefit of either side.
1t meant that the majors were compelled
to purchase outright any material that
looked desirable in the leagues that had
washed their hands of the draft system,
and this naturally diminished the num-
ber of players graduating into the big
leagues, as when it came to buying the
National and American league owners
operated on conservative lines
Draft Discussion Fireworks
At Buffalo this question viii be the
one that may set off the fireworks.
Like the Pacific Coast League. the
New International and the American
Association are reported to ne still
strong in their opposition to the draft,
and many wise baseball sharpS have
expressed cons iderable doubt that 4
system can be evolved that will work
to the satisfaction Of all hands. The
players, of course, are vitally interest
ed in this matter, and are said TO
nave laid their case before Judge Lam
dis, their principal complaint being
that the elimination of the draft does
not give them fair opportunity to
advance.
In addition to the dra-- discussion.
the major league owners and managers
have another purpose in going to Buf-
falo. There is quite lot of highly
desirable material in the minors. and
the big leaguers will in many cases be
in a buying mood. 1t would surprise
no one if number of important pur-
chases were consummated before the
meeting ends.
Rumors have been rife for many
weeks that certain club owners of the
New International are planning to re-
volt against Jack Dunn and his high
handed methods in running the Bal
timore Orioles. In Buffalo they are
expected to stage an effort TO have
Dunn get rid of some of his stars in
order to make the race in that league
less one-sided.