The New York herald., 1921-12-05
MAJORS MAY STAR
AT MINOR MEETING
Trades and Sales May Develop
at Buffalo Baseball
Sessions.
RUTH DECISION EXPECTED
Draft Is Likely to Be Re-
adopted-Conclave Opens
Tomorrow.
RUTH DECISION EXPECTED
by DANIEL.

Tomorrow the eyes of all those who
are interested in the off-field side of
baseball will be focused on Buffalo,
where the annual conclave of the
minor leagues will be opened. This
year it will be a meeting Of great in
terest, not alone to the minors but to
the majors as Well. And it may be
that before the event is closed on
Wednesday night quite q few highly
important trades will be arranged by
National and American League officials
~-;lnd quite few acquisitions from
the minors consummated.
Judging from word received from
major league centres most of those
who guide the destinies of the big cir
cults will be on hand at Buffalo. Judge
attend as an active conferee and coun-
sellor-and. by the way, they do say
that the Judge will see Col Huston
up there and hand out his decision
on the cause celebre of one Babe Ruth,
who not so many weeks ago defied the
authority of His Commissionership.
Ed Barrow and Miller Huggins are
scheduled to accompany Col Huston to
the convention. The Giants--in the new
role of world CHAMPIONSHIP be repre-
sented by John j. McGraw and James
Tierney, the new secretary. Charley
Elbbets is to uphold the dignity OF the
Brooklyn club, and perhaps Will make
another drive to induce The minors to
adopt his scheme for the draft.
Draft Chief Topic.
The draft will be the main topic Of
discussion among the minor league chief
tains. Just what advice Judge Lands
win give to them on that subject is not
known, but there is an impression that
he leans toward the readoption OF the
drafting system.
The Class AA ieagues-1nternational,
American Association and Pacific
Coast-still stand against the draft,
some OF the clubs adamant, others open
to change of ideas In the Interna-
tional League Jack Dunn, the Baltimore
impresario, continues as the leader or
the anti-draft division.
Dunn has an idea that If the Class
IA minors continue to keep out of the
draft and decline to sell their players
TO the majors there will come time
when the big leagues win have to give
the Class AA fellows recognition as
majors--or as a new class or sub-major
leagues, absolutely out of Intimate as
sociation with the minors. That is their
sweet dream-and II looks as IL 1t is
made of no more solid stuff than other
dreams.
The majors want the draft bacll--and
they are willing TO pay to the Class AA
leagues $4,000 for each player obtained
by the annual drawing. There are some
Glass AA officials who are willing to ac-
cept that proposition, and there are
many others who are insistent on
1880 rate for each player. Below the
Glass AA division the minor leagues are
for the draft, and 1t looks as if the
weight of their votes and the breaking
up of anti-draft lines In the Interna-
tional League and the American Asso-
citation will bring about q return OF the
system.
There is considerable interest IN the
plans of Dunn, who has quite a number
of players who are sought by major
league clubs. Bentley, Ogden, jacobson
and Lawrey are among those who are
regarded as eligible for duty in the big
show Since the defeat of the Balti-
mores by the Louisville champions of
the American Association in their post
season series there no doubt has been
reduction OF the exaggerated value of
these stars, who were quoted as high as
$l5O.000 last summer.
Dunns team outclassed the rest of the
International League and the other own
ers may demand that he reduce arrna-
ments in order to bring about a real
race. Even Baltimore lost interest In
its front runners. There was not even
the senlblanee of fight for the pen
nant.
There has been some talk along the
old lines that Baltimore would demand
n franchise in the major leagues-the
transfer of the Phlllies or some such
proposition--but the chances for such
development are about as strong as
BaItimore's ability to support major