BASE BALL AND TRAP SHOOTING VOL. 64. No. 11 PHILADELPHIA, NOVEMBER 14, 1914 PRICE 5 CENTS MINOR LEAGUES ARE LINED UP The National Association, Placated By National Commission, Votes Unanimously to Remain Loyal to Organized Ball, and Saddles Blame for Present Bad Conditions Wholly Upon Players as a Class minors would take some decisive action be fore the Omaha meeting adjourned. And if As "Sporting Life" goes to press the fight between the majors and the Fed the annual meeting of the National erals is not settled, sentiment as expressed Association embracing all the mi on all sides today is that the minors will nor leagues of the country is get abrogate their present arrangements with the ting down to real work, but the majors and arrange some sort of working most important matter of the meet agreement among themselves. ing has already been settled. Under WILL ASK FOR ©CONCESSIONS the eye of the National Commission, But even with the Federal ghost out of the way the majors are not clear with the minors. the National Association has voted The latter, having taken the bit between their unanimously to remain loyal to teeth, are going after some other conces Organized Ball. Incidentally, the sions. N. P. Corish, of Savannah, Oa., presi Association also, quite needlessly, dent of the South, Atlantic League, is spokes and unjustly we think, sought to man for a bunch of smaller men and he will saddle the blame for the harmful take the lead tomorrow in asking the con ference to make an effort to secure represen conditions of the past season upon tation upon the National Commission. Mr. "ball players as a class." Appended Corish said last night: will be found details of the meeting "Tomorrow I shall introduce * resolution In the up to time of going to press, wired conference to appoint a committee to force the National by the noted "Sandy" Griswold, of Commission to recognize the minors and give them a voice in its affairs. Present conditions are intolerable. Omaha, whose complete story of the The majors have almost .ruined every minor in tha eventful meeting will appear in our country, and we are going to fix things M they can©t next issue. do it again after we recover tills time." President Corish also will introduce a reso lution asking a committee to notify the ma jors that hereafter major recruits must spend On the Eve of the Meeting from one to two years in the minors before OMAHA, Neb., November 8. The hosts of they are eligible to major leagues in return base ball, both of major and minor league de for the minors taking the "has-beens" off gree, began arriving here Sunday, and ©today the hands of majors. there is a great gathering of magnates, league OTHER REFORMATIVE MEASURES executives, and base ball writers from all Chief among the propositions to be dis ©over the country with whom the chief subject cussed by the minors will be that of the of discussion is the necessity for peace be salaries, and a great pruning is expected. la addition to the attack on salaries the owners tween the warring major leagues. There is are planning to order a general reduction in. noticeable quite a feeling in favor of recogni team limits. Some system whereby the min tion of the Federal League as a third major ors can be made self-sustaining without de league, as this would enlarge the scope of pending upon the generosity or extravagance the game and vastly increase the player of the majors, is favored by a majority of market. The sentiment also prevails that the the minors as a solution to the problem that minor leagues should be accorded more rights faces them after a year of general depression. and privileges under the National Agreement. Segregation of the larger and smaller cir However, it was only here and there that a cuits into two separate bodies with the pos delegate came out flat-footed for the Feds. sible addition of a third party to the Na Though a majority of the moguls were of the tional Agreement was not discussed^ around opinion that Organized Ball could have done headquarters even /cursorily. Prevailing sen much more for them last season than was the timent, however, seemed to favor a working case, still they preferred the sheltering wing out of a sane basis of operation, without of O. B. to the rather uncertain Feds, or to radical change in the method of running the going it alone. The National Commission is represented here in a body and Chairman big base ball machine. Herrmann has engaged several suites, in DERRILL PRATT NATIONAL BOARD AT WORK cluding two conference rooms, for the entire The Board of Arbitration, ©which has 250 meeting. President Tener, of the National Second Baseman of the St. Louis American L.eague Club cases to dispose of, worked steadily all this League, was the first to arrive, and Garry Derrill Pratt, the brilliant young second baseman of the St. Louis Browns, was born in afternoon and finished just 29 complaints. Herrmann was due this morning;. President Walhalla, S. C., January 10, 1889, $nd first attracted attention as a member of Georgia In addition to this it heard the case of the Johnson is due some time today, but the Tech. College team in 1906. In 1907, 1908 and 1909, he played with the University of Ala Northern League, which is trying to freeze latest report is that he may not be able to bama. After leaving college he joined the Montgomery Club, of tho Southern League, and the present owners of the Winnipeg team, of come, owing to sudden illness. President played with that club until May 15. 1910, when he threw his arm away. This caused Mont that league, out of the game. No decision Tener had little to say about the moves to gomery to send him to Hattiesburg. of the Cotton States League. After one month there was given on this point, however, as the bring about peace in the base ball world, he regained his arm and was resold to ©Montgomery. He finished the 1910 season there and Board wishes to take the matter under ad though he expressed a belief that there was was a sensation in 1911.. until purchased by the Browns late in the year, liv 191©2 Pratt at visement for a day. The case of the North a probability of the sun shining through the once cinched the second base place on the Browns, and his work with this demoralized team stood out brilliantly. He has improved each season and is now one of the most dangerous ern is the most important to come before tha war clouds before long. When asked, "Will long-distance hitters in the game. He bate and throws right-handed, stands about five feet Arbitration Board. The following cases were the Feds be recognized?" Tener replied, "I 11 inches tr height, and weighs 172 pounds. decided: think pretty near every one is now satisfied Harry Mathetfs vs. Newport News, Va.. disallowed. that there is not room for three major Player Scheld vs. Bloomington, Ills., allowed, Bloom- leagues." That there is a possibility of there ington vs. Madison, Wis., allowed. Player Tex Vin- being a general change in the topography of son vs. Madison, allowed. Joe Wydell vs. Virginia, the base ball map is the belief of many of the Mlnn., declared a free agent. Harvey Pierce vs. Wil- delegates who are already in the city. Into they consider proper remuneration for the stated authoritatively that an announcement mington, Del., allowed. Jimmy Wall vs. St. Joseph. this change enters the Class AA league clubs. drafts. Several minor leagues will hold their to that effect would be made today or Wed Mo., salary and transportation allowed. F. D. Bar- »nd members of the American Association and annual meetings during the week. nesday, as soon as Chairman Herrmann would telle, of Menominee, declared free agent. J. Vergo Western League are already discussing the arrive from his conference at Chicago with vs. Howard Wakeftelcl, dismissed. N. R. Borland vs. possible changes that may be made. Classi The Pevelopments of Monday Mr. Weeghman. All day the men of the Bettland, Tex, allowed. J. Allace vs. Augusta, Ga.. fications of leagues will be an important mat minors were sounding each other out and it allowed. Richard Talbot vs. Chillicothe, O.. allowed. ter to. come before the delegates. The ques OMAHA, Neb., November 10. Late last developed quickly that the sentiment would St. Joseph vs. Ottumwa, transportation for player Row. tion of salaries will again be taken up and night it developed that the base ball war be that something simply had to be done by allowed. Kovy Felters T». Clinton, I*., dismiased. the demands of the minor leagues for what would be over ia a short time and it was the majors to bring about peace or that th« Continued on nineteenth page SPORTING LIFE correctly and that there was-no provision en manifestly unfair to require a ball player who Is pro moted to a major league to accept the same salary titling the player to any increase. Surely that he was paid by the releasing minor league club.© there could be nothing more convincing. If "With this we heartily agree, but upon finding no this does not convince, we can tell the reader legislation to this effect in your enactments, and upon. News of the Fraternity Of players Who received not the same salary reading your recent decision In the Kenworthy Case, that they received in the minors, but even No.