San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-10-28
BANNED
]: IN AMERICAN
LEAGUE PARKS
American League Takes
Step in "Conserva-
d tive" Program.
NATIONAL IS QUIET
Attitudes Of Two. Majors
:; Reversed in Score
& Of Years. @
NATIONAL IS QUIET
By GEORGE CHADWICK.

0opyriEnt, by me San Antonio Light.
New York, Oct. 21.-Little by lit.
istle, the National League and the
American League are drawing apart.
THE older circuit, TO borrow political
ephrase. is moving toward the left and
its younger sister is moving toward
lsihe right.
81 No split is probable that will lead
10 an actual separation with a dec
laration of independence on each side.
Their interests are too much in COM
mon for that. as the great baseball
war of 1890 taught them. Were they
to break, the players would run riot
rs they did in 1890.
My players will not desert me-"
said John B. Day on the eve of that
bitter struggle. But when he called
ION them to report in the spring of
1880, all but two or three had left
him. That blow hurt Day worse than
rhis subsequent reverses. 1t was in
credible to him that players who had
-won two championships for him, and
had been toasted by New York in
foam and bubbles, should leave him
for another owner. But they did, and
they always would. Not ) per cent of
The players are imbued in the least
with club loyalty.
8, National Clubs Assertive.
In this parting Of the ways that is
nov evident. the American League has
outlined a policy Of. conservatism and
loyalty to the game, which ii proposes
10 enforce against all units of the cir
-cuit on the principle of majority rule
In the National League the individual
clubs are becoming more assertive Of
,iheir rights. insist upon governing
siheir properties as they see fit and
shape their course the affairs of their
organizations only so far as baseball
slaw compels them.
The first important instance I'M
point is the flat announcement by
president johnson of the America y
League that there is to be no more
boxing on the grounds Of that circuit.
$40 such declaration has been made
'by President Hcydler of the National
League and none is expected. Indeed.
one club owner already has asserted
That the National League cannot con-
.frol the use of his grounds.
y That is something of a departure
from the old methods Of the National
league when it was customary for
the conservatives to lay down the law
and threaten with loss of membership
any individual member who dissented.
:, 1t lis evident that the American
League has determined TO play a
strictly baseball game. eliminating
anything which might be construed as
a detriment to the game. The new
policy might be called ''highbrOw'
baseball as opposed TO the less top
lofty sort.
Opposed Sunday Ball.
In the old days, the National
League was an open opponent of Sun
day baseball. This attitude gave it
clearly recognized superiority over its
then rival, the American Association.
The latter was preached against, lee
tured against and written against. all
10 the advantage of the National
League. The National League. sup
ported by an element which admired
IT for its conservatism, was so ultra
conservative that the sand-lotters
poked fun at it.
When the American League began
90 bid for recognition, taking the
place of the moribund American AS
ISOLATION, t.ere were still many base
ball men VINO compared the leagues
as the American Association and the
National League had been compared.
49, Inauguration of Sunday baseball IN
she National League because of al
fsged business exigencieS was the first
step down from its high plane by the
National circuit. This cost the league
much of its conservative eastern sup
port and marked the beginning of a
letting down of the bars by western
clubs to ball lot uses which were not
always as clevating as good ball game
When prize fighting began in 1923
ON the grounds of the two New York
Cubs. opposition dubbed to the sur
lace in both leagues. As a matter us
fact. twO-tbirds of the owners think
Baseball is far above boxing in ethics
Playing Cards Shrewdly.
u Realizing this and figuring that
they have a verg good grip at present
on the New York situation. the Amer
lean League owners, with President
johnson, are playing for the hold Oh
The affections OF the New York pub
lie which the National League once
had. And they are working their carGs
very shrewdly.
The world series demonstrated con
9iitions that the American League
5Olks were not sure existed. aud
aroyed to them tendencies Of faith IN
t',cir administration which warranted
the annOuncement-as the first not.
ftOm the bis baseball organ-thdt
American League PLAYING fields WOu,j
Shelter no more prize fights.
In other words, the American
League has moved up in highbrov
Eow. That is some flop in baseball
5aistory in 23 years. but it Is only the
Beginning. There are more moves t.
conc.