The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-02-10
MINOR LEAGUES.
Their Privileges Under the New
Dispensation.
AIDING YOUNG PLAYERS TO Rise.
How the So Called Sales System Will
Work in the Future-veterans Please
Themselves Without Coercion-Trans-
fers VIII Cease to BE an Evil

The new national agreement has en-
tirely altered the status Of minor league
clubs which were formerly subscribers Il
the qualified articles of admission to the
benefits Of the old agreement. The minoi
league clubs have some OF their privileges
taken away from them-at least they are
curtailed-and the rising young minor
league player has a field opened up to hin
that he has never before had chance Of
entering, except at times when only those
who had proved themselves phenomenon
had any show, and even they were handi
capped. Under the Few order of things
the brilliant young player is apt to be
called at any time to higher field of en-
deavor, and every time such a call comes
be is to get an increase in salary, and is
placed in position where the increase Is
! quite sure to be substantial one.
To be sure, ii is a system where the big
| fish will gobble up the best worms, but
they cannot do SO without the consent of
the national board, and then they must
! prove that it is case of necessity. The
! transfer cannot take place without the free
| consent of the player.
club which has one of its important play
ers disabled by sudden accident can pick
out some player in one of the minor league
clubs who has shown special excellence in
| the position where the vacancy occurs, and
apply to the national board for his serv-
ices. If the board believes that the emer-
gency is real one, and not a subterfuge
to get brilliant player at the expense of
/ 4 hn N1r,lac ha
quest, and the club desiring the play er
must pay to his club certain sum that Is
specified by the board for that grade. This
| is the method to be enforced during the
playing season. AT other times the clubs
can, if they can make terms with the
player, take him without going to the
board by paying the graded compensation
for the damage inflicted on the club from
which the player comes.
1t will be seen where the advantage to
the player comes in. Hardly a season
passes in which nearly all the clubs do not
run short of players in certain positions.
Their sore need becomes the opportunity
of the minor league player. Under the old
rules the manager of his club was so rapa-
cious about release money that the big
club, rather than be bilked, got along as
best it could. The chance for the young
ster passed, and at the end of the season
the big club ceased to want him. The ep-
portunity to show that he was capable of
holding his own in faster company was
gone. Now his manager has no option, if
the board says so, and must release him at
the fixed price which any club of higher
grade can afford to pay. The young player
demonstrates his fitness and mis- speed if
he have them, and although the man CHS
placed may resume his work the youngster
has shown his mettle, and is pretty sure to
be kept in higher class company at an in
creased salary.
The board will fix before the opening of
the season the grades of all the minor
leagues, and as new ones enter they will be
classified according to worth The board
will prescribe what rates each league must
pay for its privileges, its umpires, and also
make a salary limit, violation of which
will be punished by severe penalties. These
penalties will be enforced by the power
which the board can evoke among the
national agreement clubs.
The higher grade leagues and the major
leagues will reap good deal Of advantage
from these rules inasmuch as they will be
able TO recruit their ranks at reasonable
expense, and the knowledge Of that fact
will act as a stimulus upon the star players
to attend to their work and earn their sal
aries, because they will know that their
employers can go out at almost any time
and find young men TO fill their places if
necessary.
Among the greet evils that players
have met with among the minor leagues in
previous years have been the loss of salary
and the minor league scheme of saving
money by fning players for trivial or al
legged offenseS Heretofore the board of
arbitration has moved so slowly, and the
expense and trouble to obtain redress has
been so great, that hundreds of players
have been obliged to suffer in silence.
Hereafter this system of robbing players
will be dead. A player has only to present
his wrongs in writing to the national board
and his case will receive immediate atten-
ton, and if worthy will be followed almost
Immediately by relief. No player need lose
over fifteen days pay, save by mis- own cleo
ton, as in such case the board is, on
proof, imperatively ordered to grant his
release
There can be no question that the new
national agreement is a blessing to all
that it amply protects the rights of the
high grade men as well.
In regard to major league players the
sales system, so called, has not been abol-
isbed, and there is nothing to prevent any
club releasing player for a consideration
The carrying out of the arrangement is
left entirely to the player himself If he is
willing to go, he need not consent until he
:. \ b,~ - -, J,
stantial gamer by so doing If he is not
willing TO go to the club that wants him
he need not do so, and should his refusal
be followed by any coercion, either direct
or indirect, he has only TO apply to the
national board, and prove his case by
either direct or circumstantiAl evidence to
obtain fair treatment, and the club ad-
judged guilty of coercion will be severely
penaliZed-
Under such rules it will be seen that the
player has an opportunity TO better him
self that was never before accorded to him.
and if the rules are upheld the transfer of
players will cease to be an evil. OF course
the whole thing depends upon the good
faith of the magnates and the board ap-
pointed TO enforce the rules and do justice
TO all. There are scoffers who affect TO be
lieve that the new rules are only made to
be broken, and say ''Oh, yes, IL reads well,
but they won't live up TO it.7 believe that
{ hey will. and consider that turning over
TO the weak clubs without consideration
the players that the league will release
to the board Feb. = is a. indication that
the major leagues will keep the faith with
the players as they have given 1t. No one
will be quicker TO expose and criticise the
fist violation of the rules than
W. / HARRIS
RAPID TRANSIT TO THE WORLDS FAIR Z