Evening star., 1929-12-13

n EW YORK. December 13.-The
annual Winter meetings OF the
VI two major leagues and their
4 Joint session have come to a
close with a minimum of action
in the matter of business transacted,
The question of September closing,
the matter OF greatest moment to fans
along the big league trail, failed to
come up for Official consideration after
the magnateS discovered that the two
league presidents and not the club
owners had Jurisdiction in the situation,
Since both John Heydler and E. S.
Barnard favor a season running from
April Is to September 2S, however. 1t
is safe to assume that such will be lie
1880 dates.
Trade talk was rife in every quarter,
but actual deals, as usual, were scarce.
Grover Cleveland Alexander, Cardinal
hero of the 1926 world series, did return
to the scene of his earliest major league
conquest-Philadelph deal more
important from a sentimental angle
than from any other. Harry McCurdy,
former University of Illinois star. also
became a Philly with old Alex the
Great, and young Homer Peel became
a Cardinal again in the same trans
action. The cnly other swap returned
Wally Schang to the Athletics in ex-
change for Sammy Hale, who became
a Brownie.
Pass Chain Base Ball.
At the Joint meeting at the Bilt-
more yesterday the chain-store system
of base ball ownership was discussed
at length. Sam Breadon, the most ex-
tensive dealer in live and dressed ivory,
produced kilograms from presidents OF
a wide range of minor leagues indorsing
major league ownership Of the smaller
clubs These messages included word
from the heads of such circuits as the
Western, Texas, Central, I. !. l., Pied
mont, Blue Ridge and Eastern Carolina
Leagues and the South Atlantic and
Western Associations.
President Breadon's action in speak
ing frankly regarding the chain-Storc
system doubtless had much to do with
the failure of the joint session to adopt
the regulation Commissioner Lands
suggested-one requiring clubs to make
known oficially to the various base ball
headquarters any transaction by which
they gained control of q smaller fran
chise. All hands, including Commts-
sioner Lands, seemed satisfied to let
the matter rest on the table.
To Clarity Scoring Rules.
While no general gathering of the
base ball rules committee viii be held
this Winter. the joint session did au-
thorfZe the clarihcation Of certain
points in the scoring rules and the uni
f1cation Of scoring Instructions which
the two leagues issue to their oficial
scorers. These instructions now vary in
several items, notably the one which re-
quires a starting National League
pitcher to work fve innings to gain a
victory wheR an American Lacquer
need go but four.
The committee appointed by the base
ball writers 70 do this work includes
John B. Foster, James r. Harrison and
Al Munro Elias of New York and Harry
Bullion of Detroit. The league preSi-
dents also Will appoint ofhcial scorers
henceforth, in accordance with another
suggestion from the writer's.
The club owners also voted to ask
the minor leagues to agree to permit
each major club to farm IS players
rather than and to allow the same
man to be sent out three times instead
of two. A committee Of four men from
each circuit will treat with minor league
heads on this question, prepared to
grant concessions to obtain favorable
action.
Aids Junior Base Ball.
The joint session also appropriated
$50,000 for American League junior
base ball. 5000 for National Amateur
Athletic Federation base ball and $1,000
to the organization which aids needy
eX-players. To meet these expenditures
the commissioner will deduct Is per
cent from the gross Of the next world
series rather than the customary 10
per cent.