The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-01-18
2ae MINORS OF
MIDDLEMEST TO
ASSERT SELVES
These Cities Have Not Forgotten
They Were Once Classed at
the Top.
BIZ JOHN r. FOSTER.
Copyright, 1922, by The Argus.


1 New York, Jan. 18.-Gossip is
siagain heard among baseball men
that another effort may be made
: before long to establish a third
) major league in the middle west
{ and east. This talk is coincident
! with. discussion of the stand OF the
iePacific Coast league in declaring
. war on the draft, which is regarded
as the forerunner of a demand by
: the far west circuit for major
, league status.
There are a number of minor
: league owners with major league
2 aspirations and there are also cities
with major league aspirations.
These latter might not patronize
baseball one bit better because it
: happened TO be labeled major
league" but they have not forgot
: ten that they once had a taste of
so-called major league baseball and
they would like another morsel, TO
satisfy an appetite keen for a
change. Baltimore. Louisville, In
dianapolis, Columbus, Kansas City
and other good sized towns have
had major league clubs in the past
and they have not forgotten it.
In rejecting the draft the clubs
of the Pacific Coast league have
followed the course which they had
!. outlined during the conferences
"a that they had among themselves
They have adhered to the decision
that was made before the president
of the league and any of the own
ers visited the east.
81 No intinatiO ic eyivar tbat tbo1y
will follow a course one bit differ
ent from that which they pursued
in 1921. They are satisfied with
the success of that year and with
the progress that they made in
> baseball. and they are not going to
relinquish their theory that it is
Just as well for them to raise and
hold their players as it is for them
10 play any available youngsters in
a position where they can draft on
. a minutes notice when the season
Nor drafting players arrives
The Pacific coast declines to be-
come, subservient to the Atlantic
coast in baseball If the Pacific
coast circuit should declare itself
to be a major league it is a little
difficult how anyone could prevent
1t from assuming that rank in base
ball.
The National league and the
American league would not of ne
eessity be compelled to admit the
Pacific Coast league to the agree
ments which bind them in a way as
a dual organization, or, to be more
specific, as individual organizations
working under a dual agreement,
but they could hardly prevent the
Pacific Coast league from assert
ing that il was a major organiZa-
ton within its own province.
Both President Toole and Presi-
dent Hickey, who are at the heads
of the other organizations, have
nothing to say as to the probable
effect of the action of the Pacific
league, but the chances are that
they will side with the coast league
and decline to consider the drafting
of players as a panacea for any
ills which may be presumed to af-
feet their existence.
The majors can take any action
they see fit. but it is not probable
that they will start any plan to
take players away from the minor
Organizations except by complying
with rules which are in effect now.
& The clubs of the class AA cir
cults, having become holder by a
years experience without the draft, |
express themselves strongly as op-
posed to any plan which permits |
clubs to take away from them and |
hold players in perpetuity when the |
Same privilege is not allotted to |
them.