The United Baseball Association: The New York Chronicle - Page 4

ryanivr · 07-03-2009, 04:30 PM

Reds, Grays Agree to Swap

READING, PA. July 15, 1913 - The Reds and Grays confirmed this afternoon that a trade had been agreed upon. In the deal, Reading will get 35-year old left fielder Mansfield Covington, while Washington will receive 25-year old starting pitcher Tookie Bynum.

Bynum has worked 65.1 innings this year with 26 strikeouts en route to a 6-3 record and 1.65 ERA, while Covington is hitting .315 with no home runs.

ryanivr · 07-03-2009, 04:31 PM

Vincent Hittin' on All Cylinders

CLEVELAND, OH. July 17, 1913 - Getting 4 hits in a game is no easy feat, but hitting for the cycle is much more rare. Snooks Vincent was on fire today, going 4 for 5 and hitting for the cycle against New York at Murphy Park. His batting escapade sparked the Cleveland Maroons to a 4-1 victory over the Gothams. For the day the Maroons second baseman scored 2 runs and drove in 1.

The feat is rare in baseball as it requires a game of no fewer than four hits and the unusual combination of a home run, which requires a batter to hit for some power, and a triple, which requires a batter to have both speed on the basepaths and a well-placed drive deep into the outfield.

He told reporters after the game, "It just happened. Must have been fate or something... you can't plan this. I was more concerned with winning the game."

Vincent hit a solo-shot off J. Beebe in the 1st, grounded out in the 3rd, tripled in the 4th, doubled in the 6th and singled in the 8th.

This season-to-date Vincent has 1 home run and a .282 batting average.

ryanivr · 07-03-2009, 04:31 PM

Manager Dots Seeley Fired by Grays

WASHINGTON, DC. August 2, 1913 - The Washington Grays have ended their relationship with skipper Dots Seeley, firing him this afternoon. The Grays indicated they will soon be interviewing candidates for the position.

"This time we hope to get someone with a proven track record. We want an experienced manager and will take our time in getting one," the general manager told reporters.

"No hard feelings," Seeley said. "This is just part of the game. Washington gave me an opportunity and I appreciate it. They treated me well and fairly. I just wish we could have done better."

ryanivr · 07-03-2009, 04:32 PM

With Ten to Go, Pittsburgh Up Six Games

PITTSBURGH, PA. August 9, 1913 - Each team in the United League has played 116 games, leaving ten more to go before the Presidents Cup is officially awarded.

Pittsburgh has a commanding lead and needs to win five games to clinch. They'll face off against Cleveland, Chicago, and Reading to finish up the year.

Reading sits in second place, down six games to the Keystones. They'll play Chicago, New York, and Pittsburgh to finish the 1913 campaign.

ryanivr · 07-03-2009, 04:32 PM

Pittsburgh Clinches 1913 Presidents Cup

PITTSBURGH, PA. August 17, 1913 - In a 7-5 win over the Reading Reds, the Pittsburgh Keystones have clinched the 1913 Presidents Cup!

"This is incredible. It's been a few years in the making. When I put together this team, I can honestly say it wasn't about the money. I have enough of that already," said Keystones owner Marshall Henderson. "This was about winning a championship."

When asked if winning over five teams instead of seven made it feel less important, he responded "No. Not at all. 126 games is 126 games. It's a grueling season no matter how many teams your playing against."

He went on to thank his team and coaches. "We never could have done this without our manager, Edmon Callahan. He's the best manager in the game today and we're so lucky to have him. Also, to the nineteen players on the active roster and any reserve players that contributed in any way, thank you. And Mr. Pendleton, you have proved all of the doubters wrong. You looked like a 22-year-old out there. Congratulations."

--

The 1913 Pittsburgh Keystones

Finishing the season with a 74-52 record, Pittsburgh dominated the United League in 1913. They were in first for practically the entire season and really got hot at the end of the year.

One of the great stories of the 1913 season was Denis Pendleton. Pendleton was a 38-year-old pitcher who was traded from Chicago in 1912. He made little impact in that season, but came back and used his experience to dominate United League hitting.

In 26 starts, Pendleton went 20-4, becoming the first 20-game-winner of the United League. His 2.28 ERA was bested only by his teammate Carlos Burrell.

On offense, the team was led by right fielder Ferdinand Witherspoon. He topped the league with 66 RBIs, hit for a .301 average, and hit 6 home runs.

ryanivr · 07-03-2009, 04:34 PM

Reds Mckay Takes Batting Crown

READING, PA. August 20, 1913 - For Snooks Mckay of the Reading Reds, 1913 was a very good year. Mckay nabbed the United League batting championship with a .327 average. On the season, the 28-year-old right fielder registered 165 hits, 78 runs, 26 doubles, 9 triples, no home runs and 41 RBIs.

ryanivr · 07-03-2009, 04:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Big Six

What a great start! The UBA has a fan for life. Now I have to pick a team to support!

Keep up the good work, ryanivr. I'll be reading!

Big Six, make sure you let me know who you are rooting for! If I have some people who are following closely and leaving comments I'll make sure to cover their team a little bit more.

ryanivr · 07-03-2009, 05:09 PM

Oh yea, here's a question that I'll throw out there and you can give me any ideas you have:

1) As you can see in the first few posts, I have a space reserved for the "Hall of Heroes & Legends", which is basically the UBA's Hall of Fame. Here are some thoughts I have on that:

- I'd like it to be VERY selective. Right now, I believe there are around 209 players that played in the AL or NL in MLB's HOF. I'd it to be even more strict than that.

I was thinking that, if it opens in 1932, the 20th anniversary of the UBA, if we induct one hitter and one pitcher every year, we'd end up with 144 players by 2009. That seems like a good number to me, but I'm running a test right now and maybe that is too selective. ( I feel bad seeing some guys not in there

) What are your thoughts?

- Secondly, I'd love to get some reader participation for this. If we do one hitter/one pitcher each year, that makes it fairly easy. I can throw up a poll and the top vote-getter gets in. But, do you have a better idea?

2) Putting aside the HOF talk...I have one mini-dynasty written already that will be online soon. But I'm looking for more ideas. I'm looking for ideas that can be turned into a 30-50 post (maybe more, if it's really fun) dynasty that take place in the UBA universe. For example, letters from a player to their family as they make their way to the big leagues...An auto-biography of a player...something like that. (Big Six...help me out here! You always have good ideas for dynasties)

- For this, I'm also opening this up to anyone who wants to do their own UBA mini-dynasty. Not really sure if anyone would be interested in that, but maybe it would be fun to play in someone else's universe for a change. Let me know if you are interested.

Big Six · 07-03-2009, 10:59 PM

Hey, ryanivr-

I'd decided to become a Richmond fan, since that's the closest league city to where I live...but Richmond lost its team! That's actually not an uncommon thing, even in the "real" sports world. You might already know that Richmond lost its International League team after last year, and I think no fewer than four hockey teams have folded in the past decade or so.

I think I'm pulling for Reading now. Wash Teal and Owen Chaney look like they'll be lots of fun to follow.

As for the HoF, that's a tough one. I had a Hall of Fame in my Pat O'Farrell universe; I think I started it when the dynasty was about 20 years old. I held elections every year. Usually, somewhere between 10 and 15 people voted, and after the initial run of stars were voted in, there were usually two or three new guys elected a year. It worked fairly well. The one hitter/one pitcher idea has merit, too. Would you limit players to a certain number of years on the ballot, or not?

As for dynasty ideas, I've always enjoyed telling one player's story. If you like the period of history when your dynasty takes place, that's a plus. I've always enjoyed the history of the early 1900s, so writing in that time period was a lot of fun for me.

I think the key to any good dynasty lies in the writer's excitement about telling the story. When you find yourself thinking that the time you spend writing your dynasty is one of the highlights of your day, then you know you're on to something good.

I'm enjoying this one, by the way.

ryanivr · 07-04-2009, 08:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Big Six

Hey, ryanivr-

I'd decided to become a Richmond fan, since that's the closest league city to where I live...but Richmond lost its team! That's actually not an uncommon thing, even in the "real" sports world. You might already know that Richmond lost its International League team after last year, and I think no fewer than four hockey teams have folded in the past decade or so.

I think I'm pulling for Reading now. Wash Teal and Owen Chaney look like they'll be lots of fun to follow.

As for the HoF, that's a tough one. I had a Hall of Fame in my Pat O'Farrell universe; I think I started it when the dynasty was about 20 years old. I held elections every year. Usually, somewhere between 10 and 15 people voted, and after the initial run of stars were voted in, there were usually two or three new guys elected a year. It worked fairly well. The one hitter/one pitcher idea has merit, too. Would you limit players to a certain number of years on the ballot, or not?

As for dynasty ideas, I've always enjoyed telling one player's story. If you like the period of history when your dynasty takes place, that's a plus. I've always enjoyed the history of the early 1900s, so writing in that time period was a lot of fun for me.

I think the key to any good dynasty lies in the writer's excitement about telling the story. When you find yourself thinking that the time you spend writing your dynasty is one of the highlights of your day, then you know you're on to something good.

I'm enjoying this one, by the way.

Thanks man. Totally agree.

If I went the one pitcher/one hitter route, if I did in fact have a limit it would be rather long. I think it would open up some cool story opportunities to see a player who retired 40 years ago FINALLY make the hall of fame.

ryanivr · 07-04-2009, 08:47 AM

Manager Haukins History; Gothams Start Search

NEW YORK, NY. August 21, 1913 - The New York Gothams have severed ties with their manager, Turk Haukins, firing him this afternoon at a hastily-called press conference.

The General Manager was quoted as saying the club needs a lot of things, beginning with a new skipper. "He did the best he could, but we just did not see the improvement needed to get our team in the upper echelon in this league. The time was right for us to part company."

No word on who will be the new New York manager, although club sources say the list is short.

"We are looking for a winner."

ryanivr · 07-04-2009, 08:48 AM

Manager Stillman Gets Walking Papers in Washington

WASHINGTON, DC. August 21, 1913 - The Washington Grays finally pulled the trigger today, firing manager Chris Stillman. Stillman was rumored to be on the chopping block for some time and the team ownership had apparently had enough of the club lack of success.

The GM said, "We had a good relationship, but we just didn't make enough progress under his leadership. We thought we gave him everything he needed for success, but it just didn't happen."

No replacement has been named.

ryanivr · 07-04-2009, 08:48 AM

Teal Named 1913 UL MVP Award Winner

READING, PA. August 23, 1913 - Wash Teal of the Reading Reds proved that you can step out of the shadows and onto the stage if you've got the talent and the drive to hone your skills. Hard work, long hours and a tireless resolve paid off for him today in the form of his second United League MVP Award.

Teal hit for a .321 average while collecting 144 hits, 18 doubles, 11 triples, 6 home runs, 64 RBIs and scoring 77 times.

ryanivr · 07-04-2009, 08:49 AM

UL Presents Top Pitcher Trophy

PITTSBURGH, PA. August 24, 1913 - An old hand in this game, Denis Pendleton of the Pittsburgh Keystones silenced critics as well as he silenced the opposition this year by winning the United League Pitcher of the Year Award.

The 38-year-old starter threw 213.1 innings, notched 83 strikeouts and put up a 20-4 record to claim the coveted award.

ryanivr · 07-04-2009, 08:49 AM

United League Picks Best Rookie

READING, PA. August 25, 1913 - The United League has presented its Rookie of the Year Award for 1913 and the honor went to Dilly Munger, the fine Reading catcher.

The 25-year-old Reds newcomer took the trophy by hitting .314 in 109 games and finished with 149 hits, 1 home run, 26 RBIs and 56 runs scored.

ryanivr · 07-04-2009, 08:49 AM

Cleveland's Star Outfielder Retires at 26

CLEVELAND, OH. September 2, 1913 - Cleveland fans were shocked yesterday when they learned that their star right fielder Claude Shaffer would be leaving the game.

"This is an extremely hard thing to do. Baseball has been a part of my life for so many years. But I have to announce that I will be leaving the team, and baseball, indefinitely. My wife is currently eight months pregnant. I have responsibilities that I need to tend to and right now baseball is low on my priority list. I need something more stable."

He went on to thank Cleveland owner W.L. Murphy, manager Dozier Maddox, his teammates, and the fans. Perhaps we will see Shaffer again someday, but it won't be in 1914.

ryanivr · 07-04-2009, 08:51 AM

New Outlaw Baseball League On the Way

NEW YORK, NY. October 13, 1913 - In a press conference from the luxurious five-year-old Plaza Hotel in New York City, James A. Gilmore announced the formation of a new major league that hopes to compete with the American, National, and United League.

"This is a fantastic opportunity for baseball fans everywhere. Imagine the winners of each league facing off every year to determine a true world champion."

"We currently plan on opening up our inaugural season with six teams, and then expand to eight for our second season. Currently, our plan is to start with franchises in Baltimore, Brooklyn, Chicago, Kansas City, Newark, and St. Louis."

ryanivr · 07-05-2009, 07:25 AM

More Details on New Outlaw League

NEW YORK, NY. December 10, 1913 - After last months announcement of a new major league from James A. Gilmore, league officials have been quiet and many wondered if the league was still in development.

Last night, in a bulletin released by league president Gilmore, more details were revealed. The league will be known as the "Columbia League" and will open in April of 1914 with six franchises located in Baltimore, Brooklyn, Chicago, Kansas City, Newark, and St. Louis.

The three major financiers were also named in the bulletin. Oil baron Harry Sinclair, ice magnate Phil Ball, and Robert B. Ward of the Ward Baking Company have invested in the league.

ryanivr · 07-05-2009, 07:27 AM

For those of you who are following along, the Columbia League was the original name for the Federal League while they were drawing up the plans. I decided to revert back to the original name to take this a bit further from reality.

The real-life Federal League opened with eight teams, and Newark's club was in Indianapolis during the first season.

Looks like you all have a few more teams to root for now!

ryanivr · 07-05-2009, 07:29 AM

United, Columbia League Officials in NYC

NEW YORK, NY. January 5, 1914 - We have learned that United League officials and team owners have arrived in New York two days ago, but the more surprising news is that Columbia League officials and team owners are in New York as well.

Could the leagues be meeting to discuss their challenge of the American and National Leagues? Perhaps the leagues are discussing schedule issues to avoid conflicts as much as possible?

07-03-2009, 04:32 PM	#65
ryanivr All Star Reserve Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 907	Pittsburgh Clinches 1913 Presidents Cup PITTSBURGH, PA. August 17, 1913 - In a 7-5 win over the Reading Reds, the Pittsburgh Keystones have clinched the 1913 Presidents Cup! "This is incredible. It's been a few years in the making. When I put together this team, I can honestly say it wasn't about the money. I have enough of that already," said Keystones owner Marshall Henderson. "This was about winning a championship." When asked if winning over five teams instead of seven made it feel less important, he responded "No. Not at all. 126 games is 126 games. It's a grueling season no matter how many teams your playing against." He went on to thank his team and coaches. "We never could have done this without our manager, Edmon Callahan. He's the best manager in the game today and we're so lucky to have him. Also, to the nineteen players on the active roster and any reserve players that contributed in any way, thank you. And Mr. Pendleton, you have proved all of the doubters wrong. You looked like a 22-year-old out there. Congratulations." -- The 1913 Pittsburgh Keystones Finishing the season with a 74-52 record, Pittsburgh dominated the United League in 1913. They were in first for practically the entire season and really got hot at the end of the year. One of the great stories of the 1913 season was Denis Pendleton. Pendleton was a 38-year-old pitcher who was traded from Chicago in 1912. He made little impact in that season, but came back and used his experience to dominate United League hitting. In 26 starts, Pendleton went 20-4, becoming the first 20-game-winner of the United League. His 2.28 ERA was bested only by his teammate Carlos Burrell. On offense, the team was led by right fielder Ferdinand Witherspoon. He topped the league with 66 RBIs, hit for a .301 average, and hit 6 home runs. Last edited by ryanivr; 07-04-2009 at 08:53 AM.

07-03-2009, 05:09 PM	#68
ryanivr All Star Reserve Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 907	Oh yea, here's a question that I'll throw out there and you can give me any ideas you have: 1) As you can see in the first few posts, I have a space reserved for the "Hall of Heroes & Legends", which is basically the UBA's Hall of Fame. Here are some thoughts I have on that: - I'd like it to be VERY selective. Right now, I believe there are around 209 players that played in the AL or NL in MLB's HOF. I'd it to be even more strict than that. I was thinking that, if it opens in 1932, the 20th anniversary of the UBA, if we induct one hitter and one pitcher every year, we'd end up with 144 players by 2009. That seems like a good number to me, but I'm running a test right now and maybe that is too selective. ( I feel bad seeing some guys not in there ) What are your thoughts? - Secondly, I'd love to get some reader participation for this. If we do one hitter/one pitcher each year, that makes it fairly easy. I can throw up a poll and the top vote-getter gets in. But, do you have a better idea? 2) Putting aside the HOF talk...I have one mini-dynasty written already that will be online soon. But I'm looking for more ideas. I'm looking for ideas that can be turned into a 30-50 post (maybe more, if it's really fun) dynasty that take place in the UBA universe. For example, letters from a player to their family as they make their way to the big leagues...An auto-biography of a player...something like that. (Big Six...help me out here! You always have good ideas for dynasties) - For this, I'm also opening this up to anyone who wants to do their own UBA mini-dynasty. Not really sure if anyone would be interested in that, but maybe it would be fun to play in someone else's universe for a change. Let me know if you are interested. Last edited by ryanivr; 07-03-2009 at 05:50 PM.

07-03-2009, 10:59 PM	#69
Big Six Hall Of Famer Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Virginia Posts: 3,145	Hey, ryanivr- I'd decided to become a Richmond fan, since that's the closest league city to where I live...but Richmond lost its team! That's actually not an uncommon thing, even in the "real" sports world. You might already know that Richmond lost its International League team after last year, and I think no fewer than four hockey teams have folded in the past decade or so. I think I'm pulling for Reading now. Wash Teal and Owen Chaney look like they'll be lots of fun to follow. As for the HoF, that's a tough one. I had a Hall of Fame in my Pat O'Farrell universe; I think I started it when the dynasty was about 20 years old. I held elections every year. Usually, somewhere between 10 and 15 people voted, and after the initial run of stars were voted in, there were usually two or three new guys elected a year. It worked fairly well. The one hitter/one pitcher idea has merit, too. Would you limit players to a certain number of years on the ballot, or not? As for dynasty ideas, I've always enjoyed telling one player's story. If you like the period of history when your dynasty takes place, that's a plus. I've always enjoyed the history of the early 1900s, so writing in that time period was a lot of fun for me. I think the key to any good dynasty lies in the writer's excitement about telling the story. When you find yourself thinking that the time you spend writing your dynasty is one of the highlights of your day, then you know you're on to something good. I'm enjoying this one, by the way. __________________ My dynasties: The Base Ball Life of Patrick O'Farrell: 2014 inductee, OOTP Dynasty Hall of Fame Kenilworth: A Town and its Team: fun with a fictional league

07-03-2009, 04:30 PM	#61
ryanivr All Star Reserve Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 907	Reds, Grays Agree to Swap READING, PA. July 15, 1913 - The Reds and Grays confirmed this afternoon that a trade had been agreed upon. In the deal, Reading will get 35-year old left fielder Mansfield Covington, while Washington will receive 25-year old starting pitcher Tookie Bynum. Bynum has worked 65.1 innings this year with 26 strikeouts en route to a 6-3 record and 1.65 ERA, while Covington is hitting .315 with no home runs.

07-03-2009, 04:31 PM	#62
ryanivr All Star Reserve Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 907	Vincent Hittin' on All Cylinders CLEVELAND, OH. July 17, 1913 - Getting 4 hits in a game is no easy feat, but hitting for the cycle is much more rare. Snooks Vincent was on fire today, going 4 for 5 and hitting for the cycle against New York at Murphy Park. His batting escapade sparked the Cleveland Maroons to a 4-1 victory over the Gothams. For the day the Maroons second baseman scored 2 runs and drove in 1. The feat is rare in baseball as it requires a game of no fewer than four hits and the unusual combination of a home run, which requires a batter to hit for some power, and a triple, which requires a batter to have both speed on the basepaths and a well-placed drive deep into the outfield. He told reporters after the game, "It just happened. Must have been fate or something... you can't plan this. I was more concerned with winning the game." Vincent hit a solo-shot off J. Beebe in the 1st, grounded out in the 3rd, tripled in the 4th, doubled in the 6th and singled in the 8th. This season-to-date Vincent has 1 home run and a .282 batting average.

07-03-2009, 04:34 PM	#66
ryanivr All Star Reserve Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 907	Reds Mckay Takes Batting Crown READING, PA. August 20, 1913 - For Snooks Mckay of the Reading Reds, 1913 was a very good year. Mckay nabbed the United League batting championship with a .327 average. On the season, the 28-year-old right fielder registered 165 hits, 78 runs, 26 doubles, 9 triples, no home runs and 41 RBIs.

07-04-2009, 08:47 AM	#71
ryanivr All Star Reserve Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 907	Manager Haukins History; Gothams Start Search NEW YORK, NY. August 21, 1913 - The New York Gothams have severed ties with their manager, Turk Haukins, firing him this afternoon at a hastily-called press conference. The General Manager was quoted as saying the club needs a lot of things, beginning with a new skipper. "He did the best he could, but we just did not see the improvement needed to get our team in the upper echelon in this league. The time was right for us to part company." No word on who will be the new New York manager, although club sources say the list is short. "We are looking for a winner."

07-04-2009, 08:48 AM	#72
ryanivr All Star Reserve Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 907	Manager Stillman Gets Walking Papers in Washington WASHINGTON, DC. August 21, 1913 - The Washington Grays finally pulled the trigger today, firing manager Chris Stillman. Stillman was rumored to be on the chopping block for some time and the team ownership had apparently had enough of the club lack of success. The GM said, "We had a good relationship, but we just didn't make enough progress under his leadership. We thought we gave him everything he needed for success, but it just didn't happen." No replacement has been named.

07-04-2009, 08:49 AM	#74
ryanivr All Star Reserve Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 907	UL Presents Top Pitcher Trophy PITTSBURGH, PA. August 24, 1913 - An old hand in this game, Denis Pendleton of the Pittsburgh Keystones silenced critics as well as he silenced the opposition this year by winning the United League Pitcher of the Year Award. The 38-year-old starter threw 213.1 innings, notched 83 strikeouts and put up a 20-4 record to claim the coveted award.

07-04-2009, 08:51 AM	#77
ryanivr All Star Reserve Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 907	New Outlaw Baseball League On the Way NEW YORK, NY. October 13, 1913 - In a press conference from the luxurious five-year-old Plaza Hotel in New York City, James A. Gilmore announced the formation of a new major league that hopes to compete with the American, National, and United League. "This is a fantastic opportunity for baseball fans everywhere. Imagine the winners of each league facing off every year to determine a true world champion." "We currently plan on opening up our inaugural season with six teams, and then expand to eight for our second season. Currently, our plan is to start with franchises in Baltimore, Brooklyn, Chicago, Kansas City, Newark, and St. Louis."

07-05-2009, 07:25 AM	#78
ryanivr All Star Reserve Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 907	More Details on New Outlaw League NEW YORK, NY. December 10, 1913 - After last months announcement of a new major league from James A. Gilmore, league officials have been quiet and many wondered if the league was still in development. Last night, in a bulletin released by league president Gilmore, more details were revealed. The league will be known as the "Columbia League" and will open in April of 1914 with six franchises located in Baltimore, Brooklyn, Chicago, Kansas City, Newark, and St. Louis. The three major financiers were also named in the bulletin. Oil baron Harry Sinclair, ice magnate Phil Ball, and Robert B. Ward of the Ward Baking Company have invested in the league.

07-05-2009, 07:27 AM	#79
ryanivr All Star Reserve Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 907	For those of you who are following along, the Columbia League was the original name for the Federal League while they were drawing up the plans. I decided to revert back to the original name to take this a bit further from reality. The real-life Federal League opened with eight teams, and Newark's club was in Indianapolis during the first season. Looks like you all have a few more teams to root for now!

07-05-2009, 07:29 AM	#80
ryanivr All Star Reserve Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 907	United, Columbia League Officials in NYC NEW YORK, NY. January 5, 1914 - We have learned that United League officials and team owners have arrived in New York two days ago, but the more surprising news is that Columbia League officials and team owners are in New York as well. Could the leagues be meeting to discuss their challenge of the American and National Leagues? Perhaps the leagues are discussing schedule issues to avoid conflicts as much as possible?