The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-05-20

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ment and tho reserve rule went into effect
On the lst day of May Mr.. Young had on
his books minor leagues paying for na-
tional agreement protection that en-
braccd So clElrs located i'm So cities Of tho
Union. Since that date several other
leagues have obtained membership, bring
ing the number of clubs up to the nineties
Add TO these the 12 National league clubs
and we find nero than 100 cities banded
together, operating clubs under this great
constitution of the national game, with a
common law governing all and the reserve
rule as the hulwark of the great structure
These 100 clubs employ more than 500
professional players, who receive not less
than 81 800, 0C0 in salaries every year.
The present oinprehcDsive reserve rule
came in with the national agreement
which was framed In the winter Of 1888
The agreements predecessor of year was
the tripartitcagrccincntc entered into by the
National league the American association
and the Northwestern league In the fall Of
1889. Those three organizations embraced
about all there was OF professional clubs at
that time. A. G. Mills OF New York, rep
resenting tlJ National League; /. repre-
senting the American association, and n
delegate from tho Northwestern league met
Ia New YoTl; late in 1882 and banded the
throo organizations together under the
tripartite agreement, at the same time rails
ing tho reserve limit from men TO Il
players for ccch club. Next year other
minor leagues applied for membership un-
der the confederation and II was then de.
cided 10 mako tho agreement national and
open its protection to all reputable baseball
organizations which might apply ana COM
ply with mcmhtrrhip requirement. AT the
same time ali lil..it was taken from the re-
serve privilege. Since that year the prog
ress Of baseball has been steady in circuit,
prosperity end strength, excepting the two
years of unfortunate warfare in 1890 and
1891.
In 1889 the American association spraDg
into existence There was no national
agreement then and no general reserve
rule. Yot the Cincinnati club that year
engaged u cham pionship team for a total
salary Of less than $4,000. Now the low
est salary roll in the National league Is
S25, 600 II year. ~ that tin;c not more
than 800 Tla~crs wcrc drawing living
salary and a., the money paid to players In
a year did Mt amount To- 500, 900. No club
owned properly, because there was not
enough stability 20 the game % warrant
buildings. Ihc stands were mere excuses
put up for temporary use. A baseball
franchise then had no value. Now, ID
years later, the most Improbable club in
the National icncuc couldn't be bought
for C2j COO. whereas the most profitable are
held at l.J1 Ouu each. 1lc national agree
ment and ruscryc rulo hayo made it prac-
ticahlo for the PHILADELPHIA club to dedi-
cate properly worth $1,000 600 20 the
game. with the Boston and Chicago clubs
not far behind, and has warranted the New
York ,luh IN paying S20,000 "A year rent.
In the icCc of this showing few an
archists among the well fed, well paid pro-
f6ssional5 are talking ~ war upon tho na.
tiounl agreement which IS giving employ
ment at fancy salaries 20 hundreds Of them
who would without baseball be barely
earning a living. As a rule the rrofcs-
sional baseball player is thoroughly selfish
and thinks only OF himself aud his imme-
diate advantage. IL Is well illustrated by
the Louis,illc rlaycr TO whom some nd
miring frierds PRESENTED n handsome gold
watch. As ho received tho valuable chro.
pomcicr his admirers fairly held their
breath to hear his resronse TO the presenta-