Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-07-14
Little Action Taken
On Major Problems
Al Baseball Session
BY the Asseeia.ed Press

BY the Assecio.ed Press
CINCINNATI, July 1.-THE
major leagues have set up a road
block against any future hasty
franchise moves by restricting
territorial drafting to the two
month period from October / to
December /
BY joint action at yesterdays
meetings, the two majors wrote
into the rule book a resolution
adopted last spring at Belleair,
Fla. by the Executive Council.
Although no official action was
taken on the sad st. Louis situa-
ton in the American League, it
was regarded as almost a GER
tainty that Bill Veeck again will
request permission from the
league to shift the Browns to
Baltimore next fall. There is no
possibility of any move before
the end of the 1858 season.
Wants Club in West.
Several club owners expressed
sympathy with Weeks plight
and intimated they would 60
along with him next time. How
ever. Del Webb, co-owner of the
Yankees, limited he may not be
in favor of Baltimore as site.
while I am in deep SYM
pathy with Week." Webb said.
Il don't think it would be good
for the league to move to Bal
timore. We have too much ma
jor league baseball in Eastern
cities as it is now. Why clut-
ter it up more?
Baseball is supposed to be
our national game. Yet we
have no representation in the
West. I believe the time will
come when we will have to move
such clubs as st. Louis and
Philadelphia to Los Angeles and
San Francisco.
Inc Pacific Coast League is
making a determined effort to
become major. They advanced
from Triple A to open classifi-
cation. I believe we ought to
give it one more year to prove
itself. If. at the end of that
time. it has not reached major
status, I think the people out
there should be willing to allow
Los Angeles and San Francisco
to become major league cities"
Webb is convinced the Browns
problems are the leagues prob
lens, requiring drastic action.
Economy Proposal Loses.
The majors beat down an at
tempt to cut the player limit
from rs to % men when Com
missioner Ford Prick voted with
the American League against a
National League economy pro-
posal.
No action was taken on the
problem of Caribbean winter
baseball. a subject that has dis
turbed the player representatives.
United States major leaguers,
banned from playing winter ball
while Latin Americans are per-
mitted to play in their own coun-
try in off-season, want the same
rule for all.
The players discussed the win
ter ball program while meeting
with their leagues yesterday.
They also asked a higher mini
mum wage, better control of
night ball and their own agent
to represent them in dealings
with management. The owners
listened patiently in an amicable
discussion and promised to take
up their grievances at the winter
meetings. The idea of a special
agent. however, appeared to be
doomed.
Kiner Not Invited.
Allie Reynolds of the Yankees,
representing American League
players, was invited to attend all
future league meetings. No
similar invitation was extended
to Ralph Kiner of Chicago, Ma
tional League delegate.
The majors voted to increase
from $500 to $4,000 the price
an open classification club pa
cif1c Coast League) must pay for
return of a drafted player. They
also changed the bonus rule
slightly to conform to situations
where a free agent is signed in
late season.
Plans were made for a golden
anniversary celebration of the
World Series that started in 1903.
Clark Griffith, Washington
owner, asked permission for
pitchers and catchers to report
Is days before the first exhibit
ton games in spring training,
but the owners voted to keep the
old rule that requires the players
consent for any training a week
before the first exhibition.
No action was taken on the
subject Of laminated bats. Com
missioner Prick said the Rules
Committee had sole Jurisdiction
over such matters.