Evening star., 1924-12-25

There will be no more cheap dc
the leagues of Class AA,' said one o
leaders to the writer in a recent I'M
ents," he continued. I'VE cannot a
ming for US in base ball. We are b
leagues 25 years ago when they wer
add, the rulers.
They never have relinquished their
claim to be considered the rulers.
That is why there is trouble now, at
times, between the major leagues
and the minor. leagues, and differ
snces at all times, and that is why
/ may not give my name to this
statement, for if l do there will be
reprisals. The old theory of might
makes right in base ball survives.
although tottering."
Did not the sale of O'Connell to
the New York National League base
ball club and his subsequent in
glorious finish put an end to the
demands for huge sums for minor
league ball players?" the writer
asked.
no. kamm was sold to the Chi
cago Americans for even a larger
sum than that received for O'Con-
nell. There has been no fault found
with kamm. Some have said that he
is not worth 100000, but that is mat
ter of opinion and estimate. If the
Chicago owner figures that kamm
added to the strength Of his iniield
so that the Chicago club did not be-
come a heavy loser each year, then
it would be fair to imagine that he
. thought kamm worth 500, 600 to him."
Record May Be Exceeded.
will there ever be paid again in
your opinion, an amount equal to
the $4,000 that was expended for
the services of Ruth?'
1T is likely to happen. 1t may
rot be a payment in cash, as there
may not be an owner who will have
the resources to draw upon for such
an amount. But there will be large
sums paid for players in the future
and there will be many deals which
will embrace exchanges of players
and cash, players in twos and threes
perhaps, which will amount as ball
players are valued to sums ranging
from S25, 900 up.
Upon what further theory do you
base your statement that there will
be no more so-cailed cheap deal
ings?'" the writer asked.
Upon no theory at all, but upon
the fact that at least two of the
so-called minor leagues today are as
we'll settled as the majors in many
respects One of them, the American
Association, dares not sell ball play
srs any longer without receiving In
return such recompense as VIII per-
nit a club making any such trans
action to retain its strength in
league that plays almost as good
ball as either major league.
Little Difference in Class.
There are games played in the
major leagues that are not as good
as some of those which are played in
ya+i ND Of
course the American Association has
its lack of quality at times. Taken
collectively, however, the clubs of the
American Association will give the
second division teams of either major
league a battle. and there VIII be
times when the American Association
teams of greater strength would hght
TO the last inning with the best teams
OF the major leagues. That is why
the American Association clubs can
not trife with their public, which is
growing in numbers and becoming
more appreciative"
What of the attendance and the
business of the American Association,
for instance? Does 1t warrant more
elaborate outlay"
mot only does it warrant it, but
it must have it. So little is the grade
Of base ball differentiated in the
high -class minor league from that of
average base ball in the major league
that patrons of our teams, who are
accessible to the cities of Chicago,
Cincinnati, Detroit and st. Louis, all
of which are in the shadow OF our
minor circuits, tell us that they can
see little difference between the base
ball of the major league and that of
the minor league"
Minors Gaining Coincidence.
viii the minor leagues sever from
the majors If in the course of time
the minors think they are equal to
tho task of major league base ball?"
"a very difficult question to answer,
yet l may say that the minors no
islation and raiding of their players
that they have had in the past. They
realize that they cannot compete, pos
sibly with the New York situation or
The Chicago situation, but they are
not in the least afraid of the st.
Louis situation or that of some other
cites ! might name
Gould the minor leagues of Glass
"A, or any part of them, declare
themselves to be major leagues if
they wished?"
Can you deprive a man of the
right of free speech? If the Pacific
Coast League or the American Asso-
citation should come forth and say
that 1t is a major league what would
prevent it from being a major league?
After all, there Is nothing to the ex
} istence of major league except the
fact that 1t says 1t is one, and has
been saying so ever since the Ma
tional League was organized in 1876.
If the Pacific Coast League and the
American Association and the Inter