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— No Confabs During All-Star Classic Want Nothing to Detract Interest From Game; Hold Meeting in N. Y., July 26 By CARL LUNDQUIST United Press Sports Writer NEW YORK, N. Y., June 24.— The major league All-Star game in Cleveland this year is going to be "strictly baseball" and there will be no meetings of club owners at that time to detract interest from the classic, commissioner Ford Frick ruled today. Instead, the officials from both leagues will meet in New York on July 26 in both separate and joint sessions to discuss a number of important matters, including the possibility of expansion to the Pacific Coast and other areas which could mean operation of 10-club circuits in the future. "In the past, at times, weve had so many other news stories of importance developing at the time of the All-Star game that the game itself almost was sidetracked," Frick said. "We definitely want to guard against that happening. The game has become so much a part of baseball tradition that it deserves undivided attention." There was considerable criticism of the club owners last year when they held two full days of meetings prior to the game on July 14 at Cincinnati. The switching of the Browns franchise, which eventually went to Baltimore, arrangement of postseason barnstorming tours, and long discussion of various player grievances, dominated headlines until the game itself was played. This year even more important matters are" on the agenda, but they wont be taken up officially until the July 26 meeting here. Agenda Not Made Public The fact that the meetings were divorced entirely from the All-Star game, necessitating extra trips by the various major league officials, placed even more significance upon them. "They will be important meetings," said Charles Segar, secretary of baseball and Fricks aide. "The agenda has not been made public and probably wont be unless Mr. Frick decides to do so later. But there are a number of vital things to be discussed." Certain to come up is the expansion program which finds both major leagues involved in a behind-the-scenes fight to grab off the valuable Pacific Coast properties in Los Angeles and San Francisco. Both cities would now be in the majors had it not been for operational obstacles, but the way has been cleared for expansion to the Coast through legalization of 10-club circuits. It seems certain that the two cities will go into one league, which ever offers the most attractive arrangement. That will leave the other league with the problem of operating under its present structure or of expanding similarly and taking in such new territory as Toronto or Montreal, Dallas or Houston, or Minneapolis and St. Paul as a unit, and another midwestern town, perhaps Kansas City. The plan submitted by Hank Greenberg of Cleveland for inter-league play next season also is on the agenda, and he has some support for it, notably from Walter OMalley, president of the Dodgers. Both officials feel that schedules similar to those in pro football, where teams go into the opposite league for some of their games during the regular season, would be a big boon to attendance. Greenberg also has been demanding that something be done to speed up the playing time of major league games and has submitted an amendment calling for stricter enforcement of anti-delay rules.
