[Sctvman]

There has been a long look at the possibility of expanding the major leagues from its present 16 clubs to more. It has been that since 1901, an almost unbelievable length of time. The country was only 45 states, now it is 48.

The population in the United States has also boomed, from 77 million to almost 144 million, with still the same number of clubs. In December 1941, the St. Louis Browns' move to Los Angeles was approved, but this was just days before World War II and the attack on Pearl Harbor, and the move was tabled until after the war.

Now, the Browns are actually doing pretty well at the box office and have made a World Series in 1944, and don't look to be a possibility to move to another city.

The American League though wants to find new markets for their ballclubs. While the National League is doing very well with their eight clubs around the nation, the American League has some franchises which are not doing as particularly well.

Getting $1.2 million in expansion fees for each franchise is big for the American League, especially the weaker teams like the Athletics and the Senators.

Both leagues met in Chicago in order to make decisions about their plans for 1948 and later. The American League however had the more important decision as they decided to expand by two clubs for the 1948 season.