Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-05-27
Association Record.
A COMING STRUGGLE.
The BroIherhood's Proposed Fight With
the League Magnates.

the LeaCue magnates.
Its interesting to find the great change of
opinion that has taken place regarding the
classification rule. When it was adopted by
the League last winter THE DISPATCH was
one of the very few papers in the country to
find fault with It The fault was not found
with its object, but entirely with the means it
provided to attain that object. The plan was
Iavishly praised on every hand, and it required
nerve to publicly say a word or Two against it.
However. a change has come, and it seems as it
:heSclassfi cation rule is destined to undergo
very great transformation. The weekly papers
have taken a stand against it. The Sporting
Times this week says:
A GREAT CHANGE DESIRED.
at looks to us as if that classification rule
had been fairly tried and found wanting. We
can see no excuse for the further existence of
the rule and take the bull by the horns and say
So Its original intentions were good, so far as
it prevented dissatisfaction among certain
players and curtailed that continual desire to
Jump from one organization to another.
There to us its general usefulness seems to
have ended President Young has done his
work well and we have no fault to find with
him. He has. however. been asked to adjust
troubles which should be vested in no one man.
Who is the best person to settle dispute be-
tween club and player? Why, those direct
ly interested, of course, the club owner and the
player"
President J. B. Day believes in having the
rule changed. and President Nimick only be-
Ieves in it until it is replaced by better sys-
TEN. OF course this means that the plan will
be altered, but whether or not it will be
changed to suit the views of the brotherhood is
another matter. The latter will certainly de-
mand very great change but what the def
mite features of these changes are is secret
with the brotherhood.
WILL WAIT AWHILE.
However, there will not he any action taken
until the end of the season. There need
be no fear on this point, and all
the rumors about a general strike on
Decoration Day are absurd. Time and time
again it has been pointed out in these columns
that nothing can legally be done until the sea-
son is ended. This opinion is the right one.
On this point President Soden, of she Boston
team saws: "You don't think the brotherhood
would be foolish enough to make any bad
break on the classification law, do you? If the
PLAYERS in the brotherhood have any grievances,
individual cases, should favor giving them
hearing, and think matters could be arranged
satisfactorily. But as for anticipating that
they would demand an adjustment of the
classification or would think OF striking, why,
1 think that is absurd"
However. we can all prepare ourselves for a
very interesting contest next fall and probably
one of the most important that has been in
baseball circles for some time. Both parties
have good arguments in their favor. High
salaries are fatal to most of the Clubs and any
law that acts arbitrarily against free competi-
tion for players is injurious to them. Some
thing between these limits must be adopted,
and this cannot be done except both parties are
inclined to actin a give-and-tIke spirit.