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Show II 11Y FORM CUSS Ai LEMJN NORTH I Spokane Sees Chance to Advance Ad-vance If Portland Is Dropped I From Coast League, jf SPOKANE, Wash., Oct. 29. Class A baseball for Spokane in 1918, with an increased salary limit and one grade j better ball than the local fans have been used to as a city in a class B 1 clrcuiL That's Judge W. H. McCredle's plan for baseball in the northwest for next season In tho event Portland being dropped from tho Coast league circuit at the annual meeting of the doublo A directors in San. Francisco on November Novem-ber 1. "Either Portland will stay In the Coast league, with Seattle and possibly one other northwest city added to tho circuit, or Portland will quit tho Coast league and, with Seattle, Spokane, Ta-coma Ta-coma and two other northwestern cities, form a class A league which will i be a real Northwestern league," saldi Judge McCredie in Portland this weok.j "A compact class A circuit could be organized In the northwest which would not only mean more money to the directors, but almost as good ball as the Coast league is serving up. And, once the war is over, we can organize a greater Pacific Coast league of eight clubs." It has been Judge McCredle's idea for some years to balance up the Coast league with four clubs In tho north and four in the south, but the southern owners have steadfastly refused to consider any enlarged circuit which would take tho balance of power away from California, and the north wost cities have shied at any combination with the Coast leaguo which did not represent an evenly balanced circuit. Now, In war times, tho talk from California Cal-ifornia Is that Portland and possibly Salt Lake will be dropped from the class AA organization. Like rumors have been circulated In years past, but have always come to nothing when simmered down. Portland Ib geographically North-wostern North-wostern league territory and tho life of the city as tho tail of the Coast league kite has been strenuous to say tho least Portland onco belonged td I the Northwestern leaguo. |