The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1889-11-29
THE LEAGUE EXPLAINS.
An Address Showing Why There Is a
Baseball War.

An Address Showing Why There IL a
Baseball War.
Philadelphia tPa.) dispatch: The COM
mittee which was appointed at the recent
annual meeting Of the National league OF
professional ball clubs to prepare an ad-
dress to the public defining the position Of
that organization in the present baseball
controversy, has completed its labors. The
committee consisted of A. G. Spalding of
Chicago, John B.. Day Of New York, and
John. T.. Rogers of Philadelphia. After
r~eciting the fact that the league was or
ganized in 1916 for the purpose of rescu-
ing the game from The $40 'gh OF corrup-
ton into which it had fallen under the
National association, n that it abolished
pool selling, betting, and drinking on the
grounds and expelled two strong clubs for
violating schedule engagements, the ad.
dress continues:
1.-THE struggle for existence for the he
three or four years was desperate, n at
each annual meeting there occurred
difficult to fill because of the al
most certain financial disasters threatening
clubs i'll the smaller cities. Finally, as a
check upon competition, the weaker clubs
in the league demanded the privilege of
reserving five players who would form tho
nucleus of a team for the ensuing season.
This was the origin of the reserve rule
and from its adoption may be dated the
development Of letter financial results.
The system of reserve having proved bene.
fetal both to clubs and players the reserve
list was increased to eleven and then to
fourteen, or an entire team.
The address insists that except in cases
OF dlsbanding or retiring clubs the right Of
release has never been transferred without
the players co operation and consent,
usually at his request and for his own
pecuniary emoiument. 1t says the fifteenth
section was written in the contracts by the
brotherhood committee and is essential to
any league, and is recognized by the new
league which the seeding players have
temporarily organized. The address
claims the alleged profits of the baseball
business have been largely exaggerated and
that all that has been made has been in
vested in grounds and improvements.
The address continues: '!Tle refusal of
the brotherhood committee to meet the
league in conference at the close Of the
season proves incontestably that the i'm
perallVe demand for a conference in
midsummer to redress grievances that
have never yet materialiZed was a mere
pretext for secession. Under false prom
lses to their brother players that they
would only secede in the event of
the league refusing them justice
they secured the signatures OF the
latter to a secret pledge or oath to
desert their clubs at the bidding of then.
dissatisfied leaders. Upon the publication
of their plot Sept. 7, 1889. they and their
abettors denied day after day that there
was any foundation for the story, and re-
peatedly plighted their words that the
league should have q chance to redress
their olIapa6 o,.io yo n u, I,oforo
order a Strike How false their promises
and pledges, how e~vasive, contradictory,
and mendacious have been their every act
and deed from first to last. we leave to the
readers of the daily and weekly press for
verification.n
In reply to the above the Players,
Brotherhood have published an answer de-
nying the truth of the leagues state
ments, and accusing that body Of wlfully
misrepresenting the causes Of difference
between the men and the League man
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