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Show HEYDLER DEFENDS THE Ofllfl . I Now York, March ?.l. John IJeydler secretary-treasurer of tho National league, who served on the National eomijalsslon lat year and 13 thoroughly thorough-ly familiar with th-; Kling eaae came out tonight with a strong defense of the recent action of th eommix!fon in ri-lristfitloK Iho catcher without Dan Jotins-on'B approval. "In my opinion," jajs lleydler. l.hn com mission could have not ruled otherwise. oth-erwise. The alternative would have been to apply the provisions of rule 41, which would practically havo carried car-ried with It a four years' Ka.pen-ion and tho elimination of Kling from baseball. "Rule 49, I have always lield, wjs a measure directed fpecitic-ally acainst ' orRanlzatlon players Joining outlaw league. "Had the commission officially dCFlg nated the Chlcauo seml-profensionol league as an outlaw leaxuo, prior to Kllng'8 temporary affiliation with that organization then there would bavo ben no recourse but to Impose the extreme penalty on tho players. "The finding is Just and equitable, and is roost fair to the player making it mandatory on the player to return to Chicago and fulfill the last year of Ms three-year contract at the figure fig-ure he signed for. Is splendid from every angle of baseball law. I doubt If the commlsolon was divided on 'that particular point. It is the best part of the finding. It means that a contract once entered Into, whether by the club on one side or the player or manager on the other must be respected re-spected and lived P to. Thin Is the i meat of tho declplon and ilmply red- 1 crates the principle upon which or- j ganlzcd baseball 19 founded." |