Show I Club Chub Owners h in Pact to th Keep p Down P ayers ayers' Pay Former Former Coast Coast Leaguers Ousted From Major Leagues for High Salary Demands So few tew of ot the ballplayers were ere able to get substantial raises on new contracts this winter that some of ot them believe the club owners owners owners own own- ers had been talking to each other during the off oft season With one or two possible exceptions exceptions prosperity prevailed and the major league clubs made money In 1925 and the players naturally figure fig tig- ure that when they re helping to tomake tomake tomake make business good they ought to share In the good fortune The players alwa always s 's have hate maintained maintained maintained main main- that baseball had an inner council operated on a gentleman's agreement and that players could be railroaded out out of ot good major league Jobs into the tile minors to suit the fancy of at the owners The cases of ot Jimmy Caveney ene Cincinnati shortstop who was sent to the Pacific Coast league and Louis Fonseca Philadelphia infielder In- In fielder who was released to the In International International International In- In league indicated that this condition might exist There are a number of ot the lowe ranking major league clubs that I could have used Caven Caveney e or Fonseca Fonseca Fonseca Fon Fon- seca and It Is not likely that their salaries were too high to be as assumed assumed assumed as- as by any of ot the teams As far as Is known there was no holdout this winter who got away with It and It is unusual that one or two stars are not able to jack a abig abig abig big raise out of ot their bosses by re refusing refusing re- re fusing to report Zach Wheat star outfielder of ot the Brooklyn Robins who has been very successful successful for tor fifteen years rears In forcing the club to meet his terms I failed this year and was placed Ina Ina in ina a position where he had to act quickly in signing for tor the clubs club's terms or take a cut In salary Wheat wanted a year and the owners w were re willing to pay him that price but buthe he wanted a two- two year contract and the officials said the they had adopted a new new policy and anoL that no Brooklyn player In III the future fu future future fu- fu ture would bo ho able to get a contract contract contract con con- tract for more than one year ear Wheat rebelled and threatened to retire but it didn't work and he was told he would have to sign in twenty four hours or take a cut of ot 2000 a A. year ear He signed Brooklyn officials learned a lesson lesson lesson les les- les- les son when they gave Burly Grimes GIlmes a year two-year contract for a year ear He wasn't worth half halt that price last year ear and when the club tried to trade him no club could be found that would assume the salary sal sal- ary Frank Frisch captain of ot the NeWYork New NewYork York Tork Giants and one of at the most mot valuable players in the National league tried to get a salary boost from John McGraw and wasn't able to do it Several of ot the lice Giant players who resorted to holdout tactics were thre threatened with a transfer and a n. acut acut cut in salar salary The evidence is so general that It looks possible looks possible that the club owners owners owners own own- ers did get together and decide upon a policy of you OU you can take it or leave It ft |