Evening Republican, Volume 20, Number 202, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 August 1916 — BIGGEST OF MINOR LEAGUES [ARTICLE]

BIGGEST OF MINOR LEAGUES

American Association .Offering Its Patrons High-Class of Ball—Toledo and St. Paul Help. Time was when the old Eastern league, known now as the International, boasted and backed up the boast of having the fastest circuit in the minors, writes Jack Veioch in Indianapolis Times. Later on the Pacific Coast league came to the front with the claim that it was but a half step out of the class of the majors, and perhaps it was, for, it is notable that many of the stars of the big leagues today are graduates of the far western circuit. But now it is the American Association’s turn to do a bit of boasting. Despite the sact 1 that the Federal league hit the association almost as hard as it hit the International league, Chivington’s combination is today playing better ball; the magnates are willing to go to greater expense to build ijp clubs and the talk of anything that resembles a salary limit in this man’s circuit is pure bunk. Today the association is the biggest of all the minor leagues, and the class of ball It is offering its patrons is in reality only a short step from the big show. The rejuvenation of the Toledo club and new spirit and finances injected into the St. Paul Club ha\e helped the A. A. wQpderfully. It is reasonable to believe that the club owners fed that they can afford to take greater financial risks, for they do not expect another baseball war for a period of ten years at the least, and in that time they should be able to~ build up their bank rolls to a point where they will not have to worry.