The New York herald., 1921-01-15
WOULD HAVE MADE
Lands FIGUREHEAD
That's What Amazing 18th
Hour Attempt Would Have
Amounted To.
TEST VOTE ON SPIT BALL
National Leaguers Stand -Four
to Four Regarding It
Baseball Gossip.
TEST VOTE ON SPIT BALL
by WILLIAM h. HANNA.

dressing the baseball owners in Chicago
on Wednesday and was telling them he
wouldn't have the job of high commits
sioner at any price If he could only
recommend" and couldn't take" ac-
tion in cases Of conduct detrimental to
the game, he laid emphasis on the point
that for weeks the public had been led
10 believe he was to have full power.
His speech to the assembled magnates
was courteous but firm and pointed. and
what he had to say to the amazing
eleventh hour attempt to strip him OF
most OF the authority it was originally
intended he should have was heard
by the baseball men with impressive at
tention to his words. If there were
any who hadn't realized that he in
tended to be the boss or nothing, they
realized 1t then.
Whatever the motive that prompted
the action of the major league draft
committees to reduce the Judge to a
figurehead after his name had been
used for two months TO show that the
sincerity of the magnates, their late
hour shift of words, had It gone through,
would have amounted to nothing more
than flagrant breaking of faith with
Judge Lands and with the public.
Whether it was prompted by reluc-
I4eaguers to let the National Leagua
to get the credit it deserved for the re-
form, whether 1t was a pitiful and
pueriIe effort in certain quarters to stave
off slipping power and prominence, or
whether it was really thought the pro-
posed change was desirable. it was a
silly, shortsighted thing TO do. II 1t
was politics 1t was the cheapest, shall
lowest. most selfish sort.
Ra.-,av Drayfllsg of the NatiOnAl
League Draft Committee would have
made fight against the programme on
the floor at the Joint committee or the
two leagues IL Judge Lands hadn't
spiked the guns Of those favoring 1t
with a few choice and pithy words.
Dreyfuss told the other committeeman
so. but they overruled him at their ses-
s,ons Navin, Shibe and Griffith voting
for the recommend" and Dreyfuss
against it. Ebbets. another of the Ma
tional League Draft Committee. for rea-
sons best known to himself, did not at
tend the Chicago meetings. and Herr
mann voted with the American trio
That did not increase the respect of his
fellow National Leaguers for him. What
particular individual prompted the
thing, who had the monumental cheek
TO propose Il, who was the real instiga-
tion OF move Indignantly resented by
many baseball men when they heard or
II. was something not learned. One
member of the committee named the
four who voted for the emasculatinS
amendment, but went no further
Judge I.andis did not Issue any fiji
teen minute ultimatum. as reported. but
did say he would retire while the mag
mates talked 1t over. Before he could
leave the room Ban Johnson jumped to
his feet and moved that the word take"
be restored. which was done p. d. q.
Maybe Jolinsos eagerness and the fact
that 1t was Johnson who made the
motion caused a smile to go around
among his fellows. and Hermann, ac-
cordlng TO one delegate. was left hold |
ing the bag
The way the affair turned out, 1t
couldn't have turned out any better for
the National Leagues Increased pres
tige had the latter given cards to the
American Leaguers and told them how
TO play them. The episode increased the
victory Of those who from the outset
fcvored the Lasker plan. It decreased
tre prestige of those who opposed IL.
Possibly Il gave Judge Lands a
c'carer insight as TO who really was
for him for commissioner and all the
power that goes with the place and who
was not. With the killing Of the effort
ID curtail his authority and to the final
action. which made him commissioner,
Ban Johnson as the biggest man In
the councils OF baseball. II he ever was
that ceased to be. The biggest men
now are Judge Lands and George
Wharton Pepper. the former in both a
judicial and executive capacity. the lat
ter as an adviser
More than one nagnate who was ac-
customed to talking big was singing low
before Judge Lands finished his talk,
n talk in which his pointing forefinger.
an eloquent digit, was pointing straight
ut a certain bigwig and his eye looking
straight into that mans eye.
That the proposed change ever would
have gotten by the Joint meeting is ex-
tremely doubtful. From what could be
Gathered OF the feelings of the mag
mates they would have revived tho
twelve club league project before they
would have submitted TO Judge Landis's
being sheared OF one jot or the power
they had worked long and hard to give
him. Considering the temper OF the
maiority Of them the last word change
in an agreement which had been signed
nv one league and approved by another
was as futile as ii was incomprehen-
sibie.
tJmpires are TO be paid on a different |
arrangement after this for world S Sc |
ries work. The leagues decided 70 take
the equivalent or one winning piaJVi
share and one losing players share add
them and split the total into four parts
for the arbiters.
A large party of baseball officials and |
fans will leave here tomorrow for
Dover Hall. Ca. on a hunting trip. Babe |
Ruth and Carl Mays will be of the |
number, and others who will show their |
hardihood as nimrods are Col. It. L..
Huston, Frank Stevens, sid Mercer. w. |
S. Farnsworth. W. J. Macbeth. irwin !
Cobb. Ty Cobb and George Stallings. |
wilbert Robinson and jeff Pfeffer al
ready are there.
A test vote has been taken by the !
National League on the spitball. The /
New York. Pittsburg, Philadelphia and |
Chicago clubs voted against it: the |
Brooklyn, ST. Louis, Boston and Gin |
c.nnati clubs for It. Which doesn't |
mean the spitball Will be killed, al |
though IL the vote counted q majority |
would be required TO restore II. The |
question is up to the rules committee
OF the two leagues. Their action is final. |
and there is no disposition there to |