The record-union., 1891-03-12
RESERVED BALL PLAYERS.
LETTER FROM PRESIDENT YOUNG
ON THE SUBJECT.
Players Reserved by the Pacific North
west League Cannot Play
in California.
Special to the REcoRp-UN1oS.

| Special to the RECoRD-UNIoS.
WASHINGTON, March ll.-President
Nick Young, of the National League Pro-
fessional Baseball Clubs, was seen to-day
regarding the fight between the Califor-
MIA and Pacific Northwest Baseball
Leagues, which is now agitating sporting
circles on the coast.
He said: "The California League does
not appear to understand that the Pacific
Northwest League has duly paid its
81, 900, and, having. complied with all the
other conditions, has q right to reserve its
players. The California League cannot
sign any OF the Northwest players with
| out the latter's consent. / VIII give you
| a copy of a letter received by me day or
two ago, together with the answer mailed
yesterday, and which viii not reach the
coast for about a week. will be glad to
| have the matter telegraphed, and thereby
disposed Of"
The first letter referred to by Young
was addressed to him by t. f. Jefferson
President Of the Spokane (Wash) Club,
inclosing copy OF the correspondence
between himselfand Manager McCloskey,
of Sacramento, regarding the signature of
Hustin and Peoples, two reserved play
ers belonging to the Spokane team.
Jefferson claims that his club, having
paid the 81 900 tribute for the year 1890,
has the right of reserve under sections Z
and II of the articles of qualified admis-
sion to the national agreement. The sal
ary limit was 81 900 per month. Finding
this too small, they increased it TO 81 ,2C0
Says Jefferson: I'VE hired the
players when we were at their mercy,
and paid them oxorbitant salaries.
This year, therefore, before we offered
them any contract, Manager McCloskey,
| Of the Sacramento team. endeavored to
! sign them, and they commenced to act
| insultingly. This resulted in our mailing
them contracts for much less than we
paid them last season, which we hold we
have right to do. The fact that Hustin
and Peoples went to Sacramento, where
we mailed them their contracts, is proof
conclusive that McCloskey negotiated
with them before we offered them any
thing either one way or another, for they
'wintered in Texas This man McCIos-
key has lnterfered very materially with
my signing my team for this season, as
he has tried to sign every one of our re-
served players. | have notified him,
but to no purpose"
follows: In reply | will say l have
never said that the Pacific Northwest
League clubs, who paid for the right of
reservation for 1891, had forfeited that
right for any cause. l will say that if
| your clubs tender to each of your re-
served players q contract at a salary of
not less than 500 per month, on or before
! April lst, such reserved players cannot
! play ball with any other National agree
ment club during the season of 1891
This tender of contract is in compliance
with the law, but does not mean you
shall not pay a larger salary than this to
! your players, If you SO desire. / assume
that your association intends to apply for
membership under one of the classified
articles, thus maintaining your allegiance
to the National agreement"
WHO IT WILL EFFECT.
SAN FRANCISCO, March 1.-THE deci-
sion of \. h. Young, President of the
National League, who is also Secretary OF
the all-powerful Board Of Control, will
undoubtedly hasten acrisis in the trouble
between the California and Pacific North
west Leagues. Young's reply to q
northern manager was made in am official
capacity, and will probably be the deci-
sion OF the Board of Control, unless the
California managers can prove that the
disputed players had a right to sign else
! where.
men III the controversy have already
| been rendered Northwest contracts, which
| they refused to sign
| Ioung's reply sets at rest all doubts re-
garding the power of the Pacific North
! west people to reserve their PLAYERS of
last season for this year, and the Cali
/ tornla magnates must furnish the Board
Of Control with some very conclusive ar
guments before being allowed to use the
! men.
The next step in the case will probably
! be notification TO the local managers
| that they must keep their hands off the
men III dispute, under penalty of being
blacklisted. Then Harris and others will
/ file protest to the Board of Control.
Should the final verdict go against the
! California League managers. McCloskey's
/ team will be practically wiped out, unless
1 the State organization withdraws from
| the national agreement. He has in his
club the following men who are on the
/ Pacific Northwest Leagues reserve list !:
Pitchers Hustin and France, first-base-
man McQuirk, third -baseman Ward and
short-stop Peoples. Harris has Van Zant,
and Robinson has Stevens and Phillips,
all of whose names adorn the Northern
reserve list.