The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-12-13
L O AT N LEAGUES
DEPRIVED OF RIGHTS BY THE BIG
BALL ASSOCIATION.
National League May Take Young
Players and Try Them without
Regard to Contracts.

five hours the members of the board OF
arbitration of the National League of
Baseball Clubs argued as to the merits
of the Wrigley controversy, in which the
New York, Boston and Syracuse clubs are
involved. At the conclusion of the confer
ence it was announced that a resolution
had been adopted declaring the Syracuse
club had no right TO control Wrigley's
services after his contract had terminated
with that club. In a word, the action of
the board Of arbitration was a blow at the
minor league clubs.
To-day marked the beginning of the an
nual winter meeting of the National
League at the F~ifth-avenue Hotel. Armed
for an especially bitter attack, the men,
bers were all on hano, but so much time
was consumed by the board of arbitration
that the League only met to carry out the
requirements of the constitution and imme-
diately adjourned.
Not in years-not since the end of the
famous brotherhood fight-has a League
meeting been fraught with so much i'm
iportance as the one just begun. For weeks
past there has been no end of lobbying
and wire pulling among the various club
owners. New combinations have been
formed; lon~g-standing enemies have
smoked the pipe of peace, all for the
avowed purpose of reducing the circuit and
purifying the national game. The lobby
of the Fifth-avenue Hotel presented an I'M
usually lively appearance to-day. Not only
were there owners of League clubs there,
bul several of the minor league teams were
represented.
When President Young went around and
counted noses preliminary to calling a
meeting he found the following magnates
present: Boston, A. II. Soden and Z. w.
III. Conant; Philadelphia, A. j. Reach and
John /. Rogers; Brooklyn and Baltimore,
Charles Ebbetts, Ned Hanlon, Harry Won
der Horst and F.. A. Abel; Cincinnati,
John T. Brush; Washington, j. Earl Wag-
ner; Pittsburg, Barney Dreyfuss and w.
w. Kerr; Chicago, James rart; st. Louis,
Frank De Haas Robson; Cleveland, STAN
ley Robison; New York, Fred knowles
Louisville, Harry Pulliam and DR.. Stuckey.
Beside the latter two gentlemen the Louis
Vile interests were represented by a small
army of directors of the club. Andrew w.
Freedman was not present.
1t was not until the afternoon that the
baseball men got down to work. The ball
was set rolling when the national board
of arbitration. consisting OF Messrs. Robl-
son. Hart. Brush, Soden, Rogers and
Young, went into session. All through the
afternoon the board continued its DELHI
e~rations on the Wrigley matter, from time
to time various persons being summoned
to the meeting room. The following was
given out tonight by a representative OF
President Young:
The protest of the Syracuse club, a MEM
Der of the Eastern League OF professional
Baseball Clubs, against the action or the
New York club in contracting with George
Wrigley on Sept. Is, 1899, for a period ter
minating Oct. 10, 1893, on ground that the
Syracuse club had not transferred 10 the
New York club it's right of reservation or
the Dln ~ GarVicpG az nrOVid4d IN the ma
tional agreement, and that the said SYRIA
cuse club did a few days afterward trans
fer such right of reservation to the Brook
Ign Baseball Club, having come before the
national board of arbitration, 1t was
Resolved, That the national agreement
does not give to the reserving cluD the
right to control the services or a player
after his contract has terminated WITH the
said club, and it's right to transfer such
reservation is not impaired by any action
of the player entering into the service OF
any other club after the termination OF
such contract and before the commence
ment of the mex season OF the cluD TO
which he has been transferred :.
This ruling means that any National
League club may take the players OF the
minor league clubs at the end of their sea-
son, which is one month earlier than that
of the big league, and try them out Wltnout
paying any money consideration to the cluD
to which the player is under reserve. Ihe
fact that the minor league clubs may be
dickering with another club for the sale OK
the player makes no difference.
When told of the decision Patrick Pow
ers, president of the Eastern League, said:
"It is Just as / expected. / could see when
/ was summoned before the board that
their minds had been made up. rms deci-
sion is so manifestly unfair that L don [
care to say anything at present.
The board of arbitration sustained the
| protest of the Hamilton (Ontarfo) cluo
against the Detroit club over the taxing OF
the players Joe Schrall and NJ. McCann. In
tl;s oaoo nafrnit hold an ODtiOn on the
| players until Sept. L. Two days after the
option expired Detroit decided to buy their
release, but in the meantime minneapolis
secured the players. TIL board held that
| nv failing to make a decision by Aug. 81 the
| Detroit forfeited it's option.
The board decided against youngstown,
O., in the Lattimer case; The prayer
claimed that he was not subject 10 reserVa-
ton. as the reserve clause was stricken out
of his contract. Lattimer signed with Louis
| Vile late last season but has since been
solu to Pittsburg. j.,
In the fight between the Albany and
| Newport teams for the services OF Catcher
| Daniel Shea the board decided In favor or
Newport.
1t is not believed probable that the pro-
! posed scheme for a reduction in the League
| circuit will go through. The situation as
summed up by one Of the baseball men to-
! night was to this effect: Louisville and
Cleveland will sell on fair terms. wagner
wants big money for his franchlse In
syndicate want the earth for the Oriole
franchise. who is going to put up all this
money? The League? Well, hope not
THE Louisville representatives have pro-
| posed that the League appoint a commit
tee TO appraise the value of the Louisville,
Baltimore, Washington and cleveland IRAN
chices.
only one deal for the players was re-
| ported to-day. In that Chicago bought Gut
fielder Mccarthy from Pittsburg.
The board of directors will meet at IL a.