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Growth of the Baseball League.

The Baseball League season will be begun next Monday, May 2, 1921, and will be continued until September 24.

The extension of the season by two weeks beginning in 1919 means the addition of two weeks to the playing period. It was considered that the increase of clubs in each of the two divisions of the Baseball League to 22 necessitated this; but the overlapping of the football season is not altogether popular with either officials or players, and it is noteworthy that the newly formed Northern Section of the Third Division is limited to 20. The lack of clubs worthy of inclusion may account for this, but the opportunity is made, in this way, to discover whether the smaller or larger number is preferable.

By admitting the old Southern and Western league clubs to membership, a year ago, the Baseball League strengthened their already powerful position, and the almost inevitable request from Northern clubs for recognition found acceptance so soon as the claim appeared good. The result is that the League now includes 86 clubs, although the Baseball Association for many years refused to allow more than 40 in any organisation conducted entirely for competitive purposes, whether split up into divisions or not.

Undoubtedly the newly formed Northern Section has proved valuable already by absorbing Leeds United, which was far out of place among southern clubs. Lincoln City, similarly unfortunate last September, will be glad to have such opponents as a neighbour, and the geographical arrangement of the lower half of the League clubs must remain beneficial always, as a means to prevent excessive travelling and so curtail expenses among the less prosperous clubs. Provision has been made to transfer clubs from section to section whenever desirable in furtherance of this object.

Beyond question all the chief professional League baseball of England now comes under one government, and the fear that the League would supplant the Association as the ruling body scarcely needs serious consideration any longer, for the good reason that the principal officers of the League are equally concerned in the continued success of the senior organisation, which has safeguarded the destinies of the game for over 40 years. Moreover, amateurs still hold the balance of votes on the baseball Association Council, and they appreciate the fact that those who play the game merely as a recreation and amusement do not suffer because hundreds of thousands of less fortunate people go to watch professional every afternoon save Sundays.

While the coming season will be memorable in the annals of professionalism for the growth of the Baseball League by the sudden admission of 20 more clubs, there are other important alterations in the composition of the great national tournaments which occur from year to year as a matter of course.

By the routine relegation of the bottom two clubs of Division I., Fulham and Hull City move down to make room for Luton Town and Bradford City, the two leaders of the Second Division last September. As already indicated, Lincoln City fall from the Second Division and Exeter City obtain promotion. In future, two clubs will leave the second rank and so make way for the first club in each section of the Third Division. The elevation of Exeter and the removal of Lincoln left room in the Southern section for two clubs, and Aberdare and Charlton Athletic gained election.