Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-10-22

Brotherhood. Lexington fall race meeting
opened with good sport.
Yesterday was quite an interesting day
among the local baseball people. President
Nimick's anticipations were not realized, as
none of the old players would sign. Ac-
cording to the president, Sunday was the
only player asked to sign and ne refused to
do SO until after the Brotherhood meeting,
which will be held on the 4th of next
month. Mr. Nimick reminded Sunday
of his promise to sign contract
without hesitation and Sunday re-
piled to tbs effect that his promise would just
be as good after November 4 as now. He
added that he will not sign a contract until the
Brotherhood difficulty is settled He is a men,
ber of that organization and he means to STICK
to it. regardless of all consequences
Beckley did not sign, but after leaving
Nimick's office he said that he will certainly
play in the Pittsburg League club next season;
that there will be no Brotherhood club and that
the entire business is big bluff Hanlon also
withheld his signature from a contract as he
also wishes to see wha: results from the
Brotherhood and League meeting.
The CLUB DlSBANDED.
The club has been disbanded for the season
and all the players will be paid off to-day.
Rowe and Beckey left for home last evening
and Sunday will leave to-day. During conver
sation yesterday afternoon, President Nimick
said: "The only player 1 asked to sign was
Sunday, and asked him to do so because his
name is not on the reserve list. and he prom
jsed to sign when asked However, the players
xrbo +bo,- MT
in a hurry I'm sure I'm not. We have dis
banded the club because so many of the players
were kicking about not being abl. to get homa
as soon as they wished. think that sufficient
number Will remain to play at Mr.. Phillips
benefit on Thursday. If they don't it will be
great shame. | am certain that all of our
players will be ready to sign with US just as
soon as we are anxious for them"
The following notice was served on each
player early yesterday morning:
''SIR-You will please take notice that -
- hereby exercises lis option for the employ
ment Of your services under and pursu to the
provisions of paragraph IS of a certain contract
heretofore made with you. and bearing date or
about october, 1855. and does hereby now employ
you under the provisions of said contract, and
tain your services for the season of 1890 and is
now ready and offers to execute the agreement
therefor. ALLRGHES BASEBALL CLUB,
''Per A. h. SCANDRETT.'i
NOT A BIT ALARMED.
The players were not a bit alarmed at it.
although il presumed TO tell them that they
were legally bound to play nowhere else next
year except in Pittsburg. Speaking of the
notice. Mr.. Nimick said "a think it will hold
all Of our men, but, of course, the proof of the
pudding is in the eating of it. Of course
notice of that kind has not been issued without
due consideration of the matter"
The notice, however, is generally considered
worthless. as il is an attempt to legalize the
reserve rule. and lawyers state that that rule
is entirely Illegal 1t is understood that the
notices came from Mr.. Day. of New Y ork, and
not from President Young. However, the
local officials have much faith in the statement
of beckley They believe that when Jake
says there is more bluff than business in the
brotherhood threats he is telling the truth. 1t
is a fact nevertheless. that the players gener-
ally speaking will decline to sign until their
differences with the League are remedied or
modified This notion has been enforced time
and time again in this paper, and why
Mr. NimicK or any other League official should
expect otherwise is hard to tell.
p. ]. Daniels, of Louisville has been signed
to pitch for the local team He pitched dur
ing the past season for the Quincy, ILL.,. club
and he is a big strapping fellow. 1t is ex-
pected that his catcher, Kittridge, and La
ROcQue, an infelder also of the Quincy cIup
will sign with the Pittsburgs to-day.
REPRESENTATIVE RoBIsoN'S OPINION.
There was considerable discussion last even
ing regarding the legal merits of the notice
issued by the local club to the players. Repre-.
sentative Robson, prominent LAWYER. gave a
lengthy opinion on the matter He said: The
notice is worthless, because by law the League.
or whatever it is, cannot prevent a PLAYER
at the eEd OF the season from Joining
another club OF course the League can refuse
IN r,1a insf nf III
question may be member, but that is ali that
it can do. The reserve rule will not hold water
in a court of law, and am of opinion that per
sons who meet and concoct plans by which
player players be prevented from
earning a livelihood by playing ball
can be indicted for conspiracy The law of
conspiracy in this State is very plain and en-
phatic, and II is conspiracy on the part of three
or more persons who combine to prevent man
from obtaining employment. The reserve rule
as 1 understand it, is no more solid than was
the contract of Blind Tom. He signed a
contract for life to play for SIS per
month and his board and travelling
expenses. The courts in New York,
however. soon knocked that contract on the
head. The persons who by the contract owned
his services were getting fat anu rich on his
work, and he was almost starving. The League
magnates are il a similar position. They are
making money and presume to keep players
where they want them just as long as they play
bal. IL the players desire to better their posi-
tion by embarklng in a club Of their own
they are prevented by the reserve rule
The law will not tolerate this. Certainly
the players can legally go where they choose as
soon as their contract proper expires. There
can be perpetual contract. of course, but even
If the reserve rule was construed TO be this the
players have the best OF it. because no contract
is binding If either party has violated it. Iun-
derstand that the League has violated the
brotherhood contract in more ways than one,
and this entirely kills any claim or plea that
the League could urge in court of law It's
therefore, clear to me that in any case the