Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-02-25
LEAGUE MAGNATES
Meet for Their Annual Spring Ses-
sion in New York City.
Various Changes in National Agreement for
Benefit OF All Clubs.

New York, Feb. 2i.-The annual sprins
meeting of the National League Of profes
sional base ball players commenced. today
at the Fifth Avenue hotel. The prncipa
business of the meeting will be the publ
cation of the schedule, drawn up by Pres'
dent Nick Young. a great deal of WORK
has To be waded through before the leAgu.
Will pass on the schedule, and it is doubt.
full if it will be reached before tomorrow
night.
The clubs were represented by the fol
lowing delegates; New York. Andrew
Freedman, j. W. Spalding; BROOKLYN,
c. H. Bgrne, f. A. Abcil; Boston. A. H
SOden, ". II. Conant. Philadelphia, Al
Reach. John l. Rogers, Baltimore. Ed
ward Hanlon, II. r. NonderhorSt; Wash
ington, !. Earle Wagner; Pitrsbnrg. +.
K Kerr; Chicago. J. A. Hart. Cleveland,
+. DeH. Robson; Cincinnati, j. r.
Brush Louisville DR. w. H. Stuckey
st. Louis, A. Hazen, Chris Won Der A he
of the st. Louis club, being absent owing
tn illness. and Lawyer Hazen Of Philadel-
phis. locked after st. Louis interests. w.
W. Kerr of Pittsburg. was also absent,
for the same cause. Among those present.
during the day was r. H. Murnanc, presi.
dent OF the New England League
The national board. composed of Prpsi-
dent Young, A. II. Soden, c. Fl. Byrpe
and John T.. Brush, convened at a few
minutes after 10, and adjourned at 2 30,
the discussion of the Ward case having &C.
cupied almost the entire session. After
much weighing of evidence, the board
resolved that Ward be released from the
reserve list of the New York club
The resolution releasing Ward reads.
In part, rs follows: That said Ward was
illegally reserved for the season of 1895 by
reason OF the fact that the said Ward was
not under contract with the New York
ball club for the season of 1895, but did
not refuse to sign a contract with said
club for said season, consequently said J.
NJ. Ward is released from reservation un-
der the provisions of section 9 of the ma
tiOnal agreement.
The league went into executive session.
at 3.45 p. NJ. 1t was z. NJ. before I'll g
magnates adjourned. The time of the
meeting was spent in making and discuss
ing changes in the national agreement.
Ihs first material change was the addi-
ton of another delegate to the national
board, which now consists of five memb ers
instead of four as formerly. The nan e
was changed to the national board of
arbitration.
The fees which each club shall pay to
the National League for protection are
fixed as follows: Glass A, So; B, $50;
c, $40; ID, $50; f, SEQ; f, $40; which
shall include the right OF reservation.
The board will determine the cases on the
basis of the population of the cities com.
prising the league according to the last
census.
From Oct. ! to Jan. | was the time
limit fixed tor drafting players by the Ma
tional League clubs from the minor clubs
This shortens the drafting period one
month. The sums to be paid by league
clubs for drafting players from lesser or
CARNATIONS are TO Glass a. $500: b,
500; G, $500; d, 800; +, SO, F. $50.
National League clubs are prohibited
from approaching minor league players
during the playing season and from max
ing arrangements to draft them mt the end
of the season. The conditions rs to the
release and reservation remain unchanged.
Section l. article %, caused a long and
animated discussion. Finally the section
was modified to read in part as follows:
Any club, the member of any minor
league part to this agreement, that shall
enter into IN organization to become a
member of or cooperate with any organ
ization whose existence will in any man
ner conflict with the letter and spirit of
this agreement, or the interests of any of
the clubs operating under it, snail forth
with forfeit all rights and privileges con
ferred by this agreement said forfeit to
include its membership in any association
q party to this agreement, and all the
rights and privileges Of the players. The
penalty therein imposed shall be positive
and final and shall not be revoked unless
by unanimous consent of the board, or
upon appeal by three fourths vote Of
the major league. The same rule applies
to managers and players
The other changes We're typographical
AMI unimportant The New York club
released Tom Burns, left fielder, to the
Newark club of the Atlantic Association.
Burns will act rs captain and manager
OF the Newark club. The national boar
OF arbitration re -convened ut s Is T. NJ.
Nothing of Importance was done at the
night session. A few minor league claims
occupied the time of the meeting. The
league will reconvene at 10, tomorrow
NOR ain2.
A meeting of the minor league associa-
tons was held In the hotel during the day
Continued on page 2.