| Show I AGREEMENT SHOULD SHUL a BE CHANGED Ir IPA CONVENTION VE 9 DECLARES A S HUGH w FULLERTON BY HUGH S. S FULLERTON The national agreement the constitution constitution constitution of or organized baseball Is III to be he amended The adoption of or the new classification of tho thin minor leagues de decided decided decided de- de upon at the San Antonio meeting forces forcE's the change chang In the agreement and gives hes tho powers of organized baseball the tho opportunity to rewrite that strange and Incon Incongruous constitution under which baseball has operated ever since the National league finally came caino to terms and admitted the American league to equality Everyone E connected with organized baseball realizes that some somo working constitution which shall be the basis of baseball law is necessary and that somo some tribunal shall exist which shall mako make tho the laws Every time in tho the last dozen years ears any anyone one has leas dared to criticise criticise cise cle the national agreement the howl bowl of ot Anarchist has been raised and the time protestant has been Jeen accused of oC striving to 10 cause trouble Tho The laughable part of It is that the national agreement is a constitution thrown together In lit less than an hour hourat at tho the meeting at Cincinnati at which peace hence b between the warring factions was ns declared One m man n left leCt the room wrote what he thought both leagues wanted and brought It back Thc They had been quarreling and arguing for Cor two days das and although the document was badly adly worded Indefinite In man many of oC Its clauses and unsatisfactory in er 0 every wa way It was adopted b by the two leagues with few tew changes To assert that the they can write the constitution governing nearl nearly fifty leagues nearly clubs and amI a about out 12 I- players safeguard property Interests Interests Inter Inter- Interests ests worth perhaps and settle settle settle set set- tle all disputes In that wa way Is to claim Infallibility Tho Time agreement has been serviceable sef only because It left so man many loopholes for tor amendments ments For oddly enough h In n creating the time national commission the baseball powers gave three men teen the right to pass laws prescribe penalties to voto oto salaries and to punish That Is th they created a body at once legislative administrative and Judicial The com- com ml slon has haR amended amend d Its laws at will willand and to fit circumstances at particular cases A year ear ago ngo Joe began b-an banto to codify anti and whip he the laws of baseball Into som soma semblance of or understandable shape That was the first real effort to write baseball law aw and to establish precedents Now that the he constitution of ot organIzed organized organ organ- baseball Is to be amen amended ed tho the national national national na na- commission ought to call a t. t constitutional constitutional constitutional con con- convention to revise rc all tho the laws of or baseball At this convention the national commission which represents r seats nt the major leagues learue the thc National As Association of or Minor Leagues d b by one delegate from Crom each class elass the players represented by one olle man manfrom manfrom from the major leagues ea and one from the minors and the umpires should be represented and a n full rull discussion of oC the tho laws should be Indulged In and the whole constitution amended to 10 suit all Baseball has grown gown too big for Cor three three men to make Its laws a as the tho thoy see fit I see that the commission has made mado Itself the guardian of oC all ball players player and adopted a a. new rule to Insure all players full salaries whether or not tho the club with which they thoy are connected dis dis- bands ands The fact Is th the tho players always have ha been guaranteed payment and there aro are Jew few cw cases In which the they failed Called to get It The Tho commission now wants want Secretary Farrell Parrell to hold out draft or purchase money to pay salaries That iii Is If a club disbands owing Its players money under the laws law all players be become become become be- be come free agents and can call go whore where where Ule they tl please or where they can Then If f an any anyone anyone one ono of or them Is drafted although how one can draft a free treo agent I cant can't see or sells solis himself to some club tho the sale money mone Is to be bo divided among his Cormer former former for for- mer pro rata Fine Idea for Cor forthe CorI forthe I the good player who Is worth something something something some some- thing to give al all he Is worth to a bunch of oC hams who cant can't get jobs The vicarious vicarious vica vica- vicarious rious charlt charity of oC the commission appeals more to humor than to Justice This guardian of ot players players' pose poso of oC the tho commission is one of ot the tho Jokes of or ortho tho the game The player never has hns and never ne will have under the present system SS S'S tem a fair Call chance against a n club own own- er or Ho lie has no voice olce In anything He HeIs HeIs Heis Is suspended fined or disposed of oC In Inan an any Wa way and without anything but a belated kick In prospect At the same meeting at which this guardianship was voted It was decided that a major league clubs club's obligations to a player cease as soon as he is 18 sold to a minor I league In the case In point the player had a contract with St. St Louis calling for Cor a certain sum a certain period He lIe was as sold to Louisville and was told that the club would assume his contract for Cor the full term term term-I. i. i e to the end of ot the American league season Louisville Louls reduced his salary salan and paid him for a shorter season 11 When hen hen he left leCt the club to go o to St St. Louis to appeal to the club owner there he was fined and suspended It was all legal and right according to the tho national commission which so carefully guardians ball players But the lie ethics and the Justice of oC It seem to smell Not to mince words the bl biggest Jest joke Joko In baseball Is the time national commission Every ball player layer most of the tho managers managers mana mana- gers rs and a a. big big percentage of or the club owners state that fact even stronger Time The minor league ea ue men amen aro are a unit No Xo player has any confidence In the tho com- com the public hasn't much and the press none none except except for Cor revenue only There Is much worry and speculation In Boston as to whether Jake Stahl can canJel get Jel Into condition to play pIny next season Boston fans can set sel their minds at rest Stahl can start next season H aSOn In as near perfect play the game Jame a as ho lie could have ha dono done had he continued to play Instead of ot laying offIt off oCr It Is true that ordinarily oven O one season out of or baseball will set a L man back Immeasurably John I Elio Kilns lIn never was the I same bame catcher after aUar he lie left tho mho Cubs for a season But this is not a parallel case I 1 think Kling was boiler better when ho he came back after attar that year ear than thun he lie would have been If It he lie had played continuously lie He was going back In his work when he laid off oft and It Jt ismore la is more nore than possible that the years year's layoff lay lay- layoff off ocr did him good Instead of or harm That I am satisfied Is the case caso with Stahl The big fellow evidently never ne forsook the gamo game In his heart Last summer summa he kept In fine CIne condition all the tho time and could have ha returned to the Boston team and been ready for tor work ork In a fortnight Ho He bit was as a heavy of ot course but he worked hard and played ball at every opportunity for Cor the fun of or the thing lIe Ho was leader In a business business business busi busi- ness mans man's athletic organization down on the south side of oC Chicago and the way he hit against a rival rhal pitchers showed he still has the wallop and the eye ere The loss of OC George Huff Hurt b by the CubIs Cub Cubs Is a serious blow to tho the teams team's prospects Just now at tho the time when new talent must be found Cound to return the time club to pennant strength Pitching strength Is chiefly what Is Js needed and I believe President Murphy made a sad mistake when he ho failed to make an earl early effort ef ef- ef fort Cort to tie Big G G. G up In a contract Huff fluff I la is a wonder as 1 a scout Ho lIo picks real ball baH players and does not recommend recommend mend an any man until he Is certain In gaining him Cleveland makes a hl big big- step toward the finishing of oC a pennant winning team eam Huff probably has several sev sev- e eral players In mind that will fit tIt Into the thC Cleveland oland gaps who were not espe espe- Ipe- Ipe cIa dally II needed by Chicago Cleveland needs only to fill CIlI two gaps and find a a. high cla class s catcher to turn It t Into a team that ought t to be the up runner In In Inthe inthe the American league with a chance to win If anything anything- happens to break the tha Athletics scout ex-scout for Cor the tha Cincinnati club has Just completed on ono one I of the time most gigantic g tasks ever attempted attempted at at- at- at tempted by an any one In baseball After three years ears of ot work ho has compiled a directory directory of ot major league ball players giving their full names their Corm former r club the club they go o to to their statistics and peculiarities positions and aver aver- ag es The Tho book will enable and I club owners to trace an any player and as It la is to be brought ht up up to o date and Issued annually tho the directory director which hl h Is to bo be In pocket size will be Invaluable Invaluable able oble In the tho history of baseball In the tha future Dont Don't all oil rush to buy bU- It It Is 35 a a. throw Presidents Murphy and Comiskey al already al- al ready are aro doing hu huge e press agent stunts In Chicago o. o Murphy Is building the greatest test ball park In the world on paper p ner and Comiskey Is going to take two teams around the world What Murphy doesn't think of ot the tho writers blame on Comm Commy |
