Evening star., 1945-02-02
Successor 10 Lands
Also High on List
AT Major Meeting
BY JOE REICHLER,
Associated Press Sports Writer,

NEW YORK, Feb. 2. - Baseball
faces p momentous week end-per-
haps the most important of the last
"a years-with major league club
owners gathered here today for a
two-day session that may decide
whether wartime manpower de-
mands are sufficiently drastic to
warrant suspension of play the
forthcoming season.
High on the list Of important de-
cisions to be asked of the big league
moguls is the election of a successor
to Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain
Lands, whose recent death termi-
mated firm and responsible direc-
tive head which organized baseball
needs badly now in its first real
period of distress since Lands took
control in 1921.
Developments in the last two
months have fluctuated the baseball
fever chart to such an extent that
National League President Ford
F'rick's report on his conference with
National Selective Service Director
Maj. Gen. Lewis B. Hershey 10 days
ago may be an important factor in
the owners decision whether to play
this year.
Frick persistently has declined to
reveal the answers he obtained to
questions put to Hershey, explaining
only that he was successful in get
ting clear picture of the manpower
situation as it relates to sports and
that he would unfold the true pic
ture at the baseball meeting.
Outlook Constantly Changes.
Baseball men are frank in ad-
mitting recent developments have
been heartening and disheartening
with see-saw regularity. An idea
OF the "upe and downs" in their
feelings can be cleaned from the
following list of announcements
taken from Associated Press files:
l. November 26-War Department
ordered commanding officers not to
issue medical discharges to pub
Icized performers and took over
that function itself.
2. December Major league
owners expect to start 1945 season;
appoint 10-member committee to
draw up new working agreement
with emphasis on new commits
sioner.
3. December 23-WMD James F..
Byrnes requests" all 4-Fs be re-
examined for duty either in armed
forces or in war jobs.
4. January 5.-Committee meets at
Chicago, defers draft of agreement
to New York, February 2.
5. January 6-PreSident Franklin
D. Roosevelt suggests all 4-Fs be
funneled into essential industry.
Seen as critical for baseball with
approximately $50 4-Fs in major
leagues.
Dewey Supports Continuation.
6. January 13-Night baseball will
not be prohibited under forthcom-
ing order curtailing nonessential use
Of electricity to save coal, WPB re-
veals. Gov. Dewey of New York sees
sports as morale aid in wartime.
7. January 16-President Roose-
velt gives partial green light to base
ball; approves of game provided ut
does not hurt war production" New
York Yankees send out contracts
for 1945.
8. January 20-War Department
In Washington to review all cases
Of pro-athletes declared unit for
military duty.
8. January 21-Advisory Commit
tee will permit professional baseball
to dip into American Legion junior
baseball's program for talent. USO
tours reveal GIs for baseball. Major
league clubs announce spring train
ing sites. ODT announces moving
ball clubs no railroad problem.
10. January 23-Advisory Council
in disagreement over Frick's de-
fiance of tradition by his journey to
Washington to confer with Hershey
on plans for baseball.
Griff, Hickey Optimistic.
II. January 25-Clark Grif11th and
Branch Hickey, respective presidents
of Washington and Brooklyn, and
Larry MacPhail believe baseball will
be played this season. Senator
Chandler, Democrat, Of Kentucky
says he will fight for continuance
Of game during wartime.
IL. January 26-Ron Northey, Phil
adelphia outfielder, previously classi-
field 4-F, inducted into Army, fol-
lowing Les Fleming, Stan Musial,
Clyde Shoun, Billy Conroy, Rube
Melton and other players into
service.
13. January 26 MacPhail, Dan
Topping and Del Webb buy Yankees,
indicating faith in continuance Of
baseball. Eastern League and South
ern Association heads express con-
fidence that minor leagues will oper-
ate in 1945.
Indications are that Frick will be
elected commissioner, If one is
named. According to unofficial tab
ulations, the count stands 1874 for
the National League prexy, with no
other candidate having more than
one backer. The recent basket ball
scandal and the officials cry for a
"cZar" like baseball had may spur
the magnateS to adopt the action