Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-01-31
A REVIEW OF SPORTS,
President Jim Hart's Objections to
the Proposed National
Agreement.
THE WESTERN LEAGUES SYSTEM.
Some Evil Tendencies of the latest Iegis-
lation of the Baseball
Nagnates
LATEST PHASES OF TIE LYONS CASE.
THE WESTERN LEAGUES SYSTEM.
LATEST PHASES OF TIE LYONS CASE.
Prospective Football Game Of Interest-The Cal
laghan and Mccarthy Fight


ball League points with an unerring finger
to the fact that the organization as at pres
ent made up will not last. No matter what
NAV have been the declarations of harmony
at ard since the Indianapolis meeting, there
are already proofs of the strongest factional
feeling among the magnates that we have
had for many long month. And let me
saw that Just as sure as we are here, these
feelings will be famed into such a big flame
thai all vestige of harmony will be con
sumed and this year may not disappear be-
fore what 1 talking about comes to pass
The latest bone of contention among the
magnates is the proposed national agree
ment which has been prepared by Colonel
Rogers. That instrument, as suggested by
the League LAWYER, has brought forth the
severest condemnation of Presidents Hart,
Robson, Brush and Lawyer Phelps. Mr..
Hart is determined to get even for the way
in which his famous charges against the
New York club were received; Messrs.
Brush and Robson are now of the
maioritv-that Association majority who
are running the new League, and Lawyer
Phelps apparently has the innate idea that
two attorneys should not agree. How
plain il is to see that the genius and brains
that have guided the old National League
in the nast are of little moment now; they
are downed
But certainly the proposed national
agreement is the most important thing of
the week. A correct outline of it was
given in THE DISPATCH a few DAYS ago.
and the question is of so much Importance
that it would seem advisable to give the
objections to it. President Hart has sum-
married these objections and claims to
speak IN behalf of number of other
magnates
Mr.. Harris Objections.
In objecting to the proposed agreement
Nh. Hart SAYS:
The first and principal reason is that 1
have positive information which satisfies me
that The Western League will not become
party to the agreement. That league has
adopted a new and practical plan by which
they propose 20 control the salaries of their
players and eGualize the playing strength of
their teams. This they propose 10 accom-
pliSh in the following manner: Their Secre-
tary will contract with 96 PLAYERS direct to
the league, These players will be divided
by committee into eight teams of equal
strength. The teams Will then be sub
miUred to the lea"ue Tor changes and
approval. After they are declared as nearly
equal in OlaNlnT strength A. 1t is possible TO
make them. they will be distributed by lot
TO the eight clubs of the lea@ue. Should the
drafting" system prevail 1t would entirely
disarIFinge their plan ana compel its aban- |
dOument: and as they think land rightfully |
IL my opinionl that their plan will prove a |
success, they have no desire or intention of |
aban dOniuT il without first giving 1t a fair |
triad. They Will, ii compelled 10 make |
choice, retain it and forego the protection |
granted by the national agreement. 1 am |
credibly informed that the Eastern League |
Will oTgaiZe on lines identical with those |
OF the Western League, and the two Will act |
I'm harmony. am sure tie Eastern League |
4s,11 lo1
make choice.
deem it most important and desirable to
the major body that these leagues he al |
lowed TO conduct their affairs on the plan \
proposed by them: consequently 1 shall not !
favor an agreement to which they will not |
become parties. also disapprove of the ex- /
cessiVe charges proposed iCr So-called pro- |
lection. l also disapDroYe of the number |
proposed to constitute the board. l also dis /
approve tie payment OF any salary whatso- |
ever to members OF the board, as that should |
be an honorary body. The Secretary of the |
Board should be raid 4 nominal salary as |
Secretary OF the Board, and should be paid |
an additional sum by sGcn leagues as require 1
him to keep the records of their players.
What shouldn't re Done.
The Chicago President continues:
In short, my ideas Of the changes which |
should be made are s follows: The Eastern |
and Western leagues should not be required |
TO pay more than a nominal sum, say Sa50per |
league, Tor protection. But should either |
require the Secretary to keep the records of |
the players they should pay the Secretary |
an additional sum OF $500 for the work.
The Eastern and Western leagues should /
nos be subject to the drafting system during |
their playing seasons, Dat should be between |
seasons and the price paid for the release of |
player by a club OF the major body be- |
tween seasons should be nil, or at most a |
nominal sum. This in justice to ambitious |
and deserving players. The drafting system |
should prevail at all times with respect to |
leagues whose players are engaged by the |
clubs and not by the leagues. The board 4
shauld he an honorary body and should con-
sist of seven members, two from the Eastern
section and two from the Western section of |
the major body, with the President OF the |
National League as eN-o1ficio member and /
Chairman OF the board: one member from 4
each the Easterna Western leagues. With
these changes / should be glad to record my |
vote in favor of the adoption of the docu- |
ment as submitted to me by you. Yours re-
spectfully.
Hha: the Objections Suggest.
While it is not for me to enter into a de- |
tailed discussion of Colonel Rogers pro-
posals before that gentleman has fully !
explained them L can fairly point out one
thing, viz, a very important truth en-
phasized by Mr.. Harris objections. The |
latter tells us in very plain terms that the
great desire of some people at present is to
get baseball down to a merely mechanical
level; to strip it of all those exciting and
improving features of competition that
eterything else put together. When Mr.
Hart defends such an old fogy and fossil
lied principle as that adopted by the West
cru League he is certainly aiding in the
accomplishment of the mechanical Why
that principle; that system if such it can be
called cannot do other than kill all indi-
vidual energy; that ennobiing spirit which
has made baseball so successful; that spirit
which prompts the proprietors of one club
to have better team than another is
dormant.
NAV be told that after the casting of
lots business, remnant of the days of
Joseph, by the way, each club can make its
team as strong as il desires. But if this is
to be the method what in the name of COM
mon sense is the use of casting lots for
teams at all. To operate this Joseph peri
cd principle honestly all players added to
the Western League after the lots have
been cast must be doled out bys power who
is supposed to know what team needs the
new men most. This is the real logical out
come of it, and this is the principle that
President Hart wants the baseball world to
defend and support.
But if national agreement is modified to
suit these very crude methods OF baseball
rganization-indeed, boyish methods
what about it if the system won't work
Will another national agreement have to be
formulated or adopted.
Let me ask another question. If taking
O player from the Western League will dis
turb the equilibrium of the teams will not
adding one do the same thing? If there is
power to add can there not b power to
xunyld INIT /