The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1959-08-07
wiz Third League
Bnckers Succeed?

Help WANTED 200 young men who are capable
of playing baseball. Must be OF major league calber
and of good character. Salary good, Future promising
For more information, contact Mr.. William Shea IN
New York City.
Such might be a newspaper advertisement an
nouncing the player needs of the third major baSe-
ball loop, called the Continental League. However,
it's doubtful such an advertisement will appear In your
daily paper.
In fact, a great deal of doubt has been expressed
notably by sports writers and executives and owners
in the National and American Leagues that there are
sufficient baseball players of major league ealiber 10
staff a third eight-feam loop.
Frank Shaughnessy, president OF the international
Glass AAA) League, puts it this way; They'll be call
ing themselves a major league ana wei actually nave
better talent than they Will"
Sports writer's across the country, claim that If
such a league gets going, the brand of ball will be
nothing better than bush league an expression
which seems to be a great faVorlte among these ScrlbeS.
Getting back to the executives and owners, they
not only add to the sea of doubt, they sort of give the
entire idea of a third major league the cold shoulder.
At the same time, they speak about expanslon-or the
way they put it orderly expansion"
After the fan in the street digesfs all that has been
said and written, what's his reaction? Most OF Them
lust shruq their shoulders and comment they'll Just
wait and see. After all, holding their interest are the
Fedhot races in fhe two major leagues. Also the plight
Of the New York Yankees has caught their imagi-
nation.
What prompted the movement for a third league?
Will it get any further than the paper stage" Are
there or will there-be enough major league caliber
players to staff it, if the loop does come into existence?
To answer the first question, two factors enter
the picture. The first is the loss by New York City Of
two teams-the Giants and Dodgers-Which moved to
the West Coast.
Civic leaders, Bill Shea and Mayor Robert F,
Wagner, jr, in particular, feel that the largest city In
the United States certainly can accommodate two and
possibly three major league teams. Thus, they launched
the movement Others joined the drive.
The second factor was the Congress of the United
States. 1t has, for the past couple of years, been giving
~n~@nA I~nL - 4kn nrRf.S1sgf faMx IN IL thew nniChf
not apply TO professional sports-basebail in parfieu-
lar.
If application of these laws would inJure pro-
fessional sports, Congressman have been considering
making sports an exception to the laws. To show good
faith, owners and other executives have done a lot
of talking about expansion. They also set up a num-
Der of rigid rules which must be fulfilled by cities
seeking major league teams.
Since expansion has gotten no further, the third
league proponents are pushing their idea.
Will il get any further than the paper stage?"
A meeting between third league advocates and repre-
sentatives of the AL and MI might answer this ques-
ton. The big meeting is scheduled for Aug. 10.
Can a sufficient number of ballplayers, major
league caliber, be found? More than a half century ago,
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