Evening journal., 1891-01-17
BASEBALL MEN AGREED.
The Association Gets a Club
Into Boston.
THE PLAYERS LEAGUE DIsBANDs.

National Agreement Arc Said to Have
Been Done Away with in the Drawing
OF the New One for 1891.
| NEW York, Jan. II. The Players league
is dead and the National league, American
association and Western association are
united in the bonds Of common fellowship
under the guidance Of new national
agreement Messrs. Billings Soden and
Conant, who opposed the establishment
OF an association club in Boston, and by
go doing delayed the day of peace, gave in
at last
The Players League Disbands.
The members Of the Players league held
their last meeting last evening and dis
banded The National league also finished
its labors and then awaited the associa-
tion, which was still in session. AT $3.50
the latter adjourned and the National
league, American association and Western
association met in joint session to ratify
the new national agreement. 1t was read
and then the presidents OF the three or
ganizations affixed their signatures.
Thurman and spalding Thanked.
At the conclusion Of this ceremony a re-
1
adopted which lauded the work Of Messrs.
Spalding and Thurman in putting the
| national game on a new basis. The meet
ing broke up in cheers for the new
national agreement and the clubs sub
scribing to it. Both the league and the
association meet again today to settle some
necessary details.
The New Agreement.
The new national agreement provides
| for a national board composed OF one dele
| gate from each Of the baseball organiza.
tions, who shall determine all controver-
sizes, look after the general enforcement Of
the agreement and protect the rights of all
the organizations under this agreement.
| The members OF the board shall be elected
for five years, but any member may be re-
moved at any time by two-thirtls vote Of
the association which elected him. This
board has almost unlimited powers II
will keep record Of all contracts and
agreements with umpires and between
clubs and players or managers. 1t shall
amend and enforce the joint playing rules.
may impose all fines and penalties and
may suspend anybody who in its opinion
has been guilty Of conduct detrimental to
the welfare Of the game Its determine
tion shall be final over all matters within
its jurisdiction. II may also reinstate any
body suspended.
The Reserve Feature Retained.
The board also has the power to admit
any association containing not less than
four clubs to the benefits of the agreement
for the time being. The board may also
fix the salary limit Of the clubs contained
in these associations and fix the salaries
OF the umpires. Any club desiring any OF
the players of these minor associations
pnuntintn NTH Ia rIu a.
consent Of the board and Of the club OF
which the players are members All PLAYERS
thus signed must receive an advance OF
salary. The reserve feature is retained ia
the new agreement. Each club must trans
init to the national board on OF before Oct
10 a list OF fourteen reserved players
The sales System Faded.
1t is also provided that no player can
| even be transferred. or undertaken to be.
directly or indirectly, without his full
est consent. This destroys criticism upon
the reserve rule, and forever ends the ex-
istenoe OF what has been called the sales
system. The very corner stone grievance
claimed by the Players league is thus care
fully and Judiciously met. II is conceded
by all that the reserve rule is absolutely
essential to preserve the game. The Play |
ers' contract with the National leauge rec.
eEAAAo7 WIS AAiA1+ AndL IlAt mas DtGn pre- /
served intact, in connection with the pro
visions to prevent and remedy any at
tempted abuse under its cover
Players can be contracted with for a
series Of years instead OF only from season
to season as heretofore. There will no
longer be such thing as a blacklist
When player is released he Is open to
negotiate with any club of the same asso-
citation which may desire to engage him.
The Associations Victory.
The association magnates were as happy
as schoolboys over their triumph. They
have never yet gained point on the Ma
tional league until now. The league hap
been cornered, and recognized the fact
which il was compelled to do. The original
programme Of Spalding and Thurman to-
ward the utter Generalization OF the Play
ers' league and the ultimate establishment
Of peace had prevailed.
According TO the agreement the associa-
tion also gets Chicago. The American as
sociation accepted the resignation OF the
Toledo, Rochester and Syracuse clubs
Then applications were received from Bos-
ton, Washington and Philadelphia, and
those cities were admitted The delegates
OF these clubs were admitted as follows:
Boston, Charles A. Prince; PHILADELPHIA.
J. Earle Wagner; Washington. Mike Sean
Ion and O. v. Bennett
BY this move the Wagners get the Ath-
letic franchise, and Prince, the president
OF the defunct Players league, is cared
for al johnson does not figure in the
deal at all, and there is good chance FOR
his getting left all around Chicago was
not admitted. Il is the play to have Nil
waukee complete the circuit in tho west.
That city was represented. II is quite
likely that this matter will be deferred FOR
a little time before the deal is made.