The Connecticut labor news., 1921-07-15
MINOR LEAGUES
ARE FAST GAINING
in POPULARITY
Baseball Men Watching With Optim
ism Growth of Little Fellows
in Recent Years.

The minor baseball league, at its
| height short time before the entry
| Of the United States into the World
| War and so nearly threatened with
determination during that period is
regalnlng its former strength.
Baseball men have watched with in
| terest and optimism the gain of the
many small leagues since the close of
the war. They declare it is a matter
OF only one or two years before the
| small cities, which in years past have
supported Class c and Class d or
CARNATIONS, again will back the nu-
merous leagues which formerly sup
piled the majors with playing talent.
The frequency with which college
and semi-profess stars Of the last
two or three years have entered major
league baseball successfully is de-
clared to be largely due to the paucity,
during war times, of the small leagues.
The high water mark of the minor
league was in 1914. That year, in ad-
three Class "A loops, the American
the Pacific Coast League there were
two Class A organizations, eight in
Glass B. seven in Class G and Fl in
Class d.
The two Class A organizations, the
Southern Association and Western
League, Withstood the war shocks, al
though at financial losses to directors.
They were joined in the classification
last year by the Eastern League and
this season by the Texas League.
The decrease in the smaller leagues
from 1914 until 1913, when the mini
mum was reached, however, was
marked. In 1913 the Class B group
which the previous year had COM
prised the Central, Eastern Associa-
ton, Three-I, New England, New
Tri-S State leagues, dropped the East
ern Association and the Tri-State
league, the latter composed of a group
Of Pennsylvania, New Jersey and
Delaware cities.
By 1913 only three leagues of this
class had survived, the Eastern, Pa
cilc Coast, international and Texas
leagues. 1t was largely the vigor
shown by the Texas and Eastern
groups during this period that earned
for them their present classification
in Class A.
BY 1920 the membership of the
Glass B league again numbered six,
including the Three-I, Michigan-On-
tario, Pacific International, Texas,
Virginia and Western Canada leagues.
This season the South Atlantic
League was admitted, making a mem
bership Of seven in the class, as COM
pared with the eight of 1914
The Class c and d groups have
thus far failed to come back" so sue
cessfully. Only two, Florida State
League and Piedmont League, are
operating in Class c this season, as
compared with the seven of 1914, &C
cording to official published lists.
Only nine are operating in the
Glass D groups, as compared with
the 2I of 1914. OF these nine only
four-the Appalachian, Georgia State,
and Western asso-
ciations-have endured through the
critical years. The others now in this
classification are the Blue Ridge, Da-
kota, Mississippi State, Southwestern
and West Texas leagues.
Financially, however, the leagues
that have remained are on a firmer
basis than ever. Salary limits in 1914
in Glass B averaged $4,000 monthly,
in Glass c from 81 200 to $1,000, and
in Class D from ST, 900 to $1,000.
Only in 1913 did they take a pro
nounced slump. Then in the Class d
leagues the Blue Ridge limit of 5000
was the low level This season the
Glass b salary figures range from
s., 500 to $3.50; Class c, $1,000 to
$1,000, and the Calss d leagues pay
a limit of $4,000 figure undreamed
Of in 1914