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Show JOHNSON LOOKS FOR POOR YEAR President of American League Pessimistic Says Baker Will Return to Game. Los Angeles, Feb. 2 Ban Johnson, president of th American league, nnd Charles Comiflkr-y owner of the Chicago Chi-cago White Sot, who slipped into town late last night, were about the Alexandria hotel lobby bright and early greeting friends and newspapi reporters, the latter berng anxious for the latest news in the baseball world. Ban Is very fond of fishing and wants to try tho Catalina sport before he leaves "Ihe season of 1 D 1 i will be tho poorest year we have had In baseball." said Ban Johnson in reply to a ques lion as to the outlook for the coming season. "It may not art'ect the Pa-c Pa-c ilic Coast lea true because the change.-t made here, seem to have strengthened your league a great deal. Kven the morican leapuo BhOUld stand up well this year. The clubs are very strong and at least four teams should be bunched at the top all year. This will arouse interest and keep up the attendance I leel sorry for the men who have clubs in Canadian cities "What I say about the Federal league is apt to be a bit prejudiced, but in the main 1 believe it I tnw I do not believe the Federal league will Inst out the 1018 eeason. 'I' hear considerable talk about peare, but the AmerTcan league has never made any such advances. Tho Feds are the ones who have started thia peac" talk "R B. Ward is the bac kbone of their eague If Ward were out of the Fed circuit It would degenerate into a Kansas City club last year and $4u, MO to the Indianapolis club. That Is why it was so easy to transfer the Kansas City club to Newark. "Coming back to my own league, I believe Connie Mack's team will be around the top again next fall There's no doubt that Baker will be back at third and Mack will have a good pitch lng staff. Commy's White Sox, however, must be watched He got the greatest ball plaer in the world wnen he bought Eddie Collins. I think Collins will make Commy's team He also landed land-ed several good youngsters from tho American association." In the course of the conversation Johnson mentioned that he had heard talk of a transfer or the Brooklyn National league ownership "I have been told," Raid Ban, "that parties are bidding for this franchise. I have every reason to believe that (resident Charles Ebbets will sell out his holdings within the next ten days." While speaking of the "emery ball," Ban said: "We are doing everything possible to stamp this out of baseball The batter is at a great disadvantage al-readv, al-readv, without the addition of such a ball Pitchers will be automatically automatic-ally suspended for thirty days without pay and fined. $ioo for using that ball. President Baura of the Coast league will also put severe restrictions upon Us use ' |