The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-12-13
WANT SHACKLES BROKEN
BALL PLAYERS DEMAND snANcirA-
TION FROM SLAVERY.
Tell MagnatcS thc Farming oat-
Clause Iust Go, aud that Sale
without Consent Must stop

Hotel tonight. When the meeting was
called TO order by President Young there
were present: A. II. Soden. w. II. conant
and j. II. Billings. Boston; w. ". Kerr.
Barney Dreyfus and p. L. Auten, Pitts
burg: A j. Reach and Col John I. Rogers.
Philadelphia; F. A. Abel, Edward Hanlon,
and Charles Ebbetts. Brooklyn: Fred
Knowles, New York; James Hart, Chi
cago: John T. Brush. Cincinnati: +. De
Haas Robson and Stanley Robson, ST.
Louis.
This was the busiest day that the League
magnates have put in. The committee APP
pointed by the League TO hear the griev-
ances Of the Players Protective Associa-
ton went into session in Parlor ID. r. The
committee is composed of Messrs. Rogers.
Soden and Brush. The players demand
that the session be an open one was ac-
ceded TO, and when the session began the
parlor was crowded. The meeting was
opened by Mr.. soden. who stated that as
the result Of correspondence between Mr..
Taylor and the League magnates. the COM
mittee had been appointed TO listen TO the
demands Of the players. The committee.
he said. was appointed last September. but
for various reasons could not meet the
players committee until the present time.
Mr.. Soden sale that the committee had no
bower TO act. but would report the con-
ference back to the meeting OF the League.
In stating the demands Of the players
organization TO the League committee Mr..
Taylor said there were just three defects
in the present form of contract that the
players want corrected. They are a modi-
fcation of the reserve clause, the entire
elimination of the farming OUT clause,
and a modification of the clause relating to
the power of club owners 10 buy and sell
players or claim them without first get
ting the players consent. Before he would
consent TO present the players demands to
the League' committee Mr.. Taylor exacted
a promise that the committee would report
the matter to the League Immediately and
that some action would be taken by the
League at its present session. Mr.. Taylor
objected to treating with the committee at
first on the ground that IL had no power to
act. He asked that the matter be laid over
until il could be presented 10 a ruiz meet
ing of the m~agnates.
Both Chairman Soden and Colonel Rogers
assured Mr.. Taylor that the matter would
be more expeditiously treated If presented
to the committee. This matter is a serious
are n~ine-tenths of the assets OF a club.
This committee will make a fair and truth
full report TO the League OF what you say
to U.S."
Vi pIucl I'll tIdN OtlCtdir tHt IlCII-
bers of the League had not been informed
as TO the purpose Of the players organiza-
ton. and they looked upon il as a secret
organization into which many players
playing managers-had not been taken. Mr..
Taylor cenied this, and after receiving a
promise Of immediate action he presented
his case.
players and club owners can get together
and adjust these matters without resortins
to war. We are not looking for trouble.
We are simply moving with an idea of put
ting the game on a higher plane. The sal
airy of the player, We know, is regulated by
the law Of supply and demand. If we csn
make the game more popular We make IL
more profitable financially, and then our
salaries will increase. The public has ideas
about the ball players. To-day. under the
present contract system, a ball player is
looked upon as a slave. and he is q slave
under the reserve rule We know that the
reserve rule is the bulwark OF baseball, but
il should not be abused. What can be done
to modify it? The players insist that IL be
limited, and that no player may be reserved
by a club FOR more than five years. We
don't think you have the right, morally
or legally, to hold a player for an indefinite
period. Would not baseball be improved
by the changing of star players from club
TO club? What we want Is a modification OF
the reserve rule. Let each club reserve not
more than ten men.
LAS to the f~arming-out system, we want
Ii abolished altogether. There is no justice
i'm IL at all for the player. IL a man ceases
TO be valuable to a CiuD. or YOU nave some
body that can play his position better.
don't farm him out. Give him his release.
Let him have a chance TO play with some
club that needs him.
las to the system of buying. selling and
claiming players. the players want the
contract modified so that he will have
something 10 say I'm the matter. AS the
matter stand now the contract is all one
sided. The player is powerless TO do or
act"
AT this point Colonel Rogers brought up
the famous contract offered to the League IN
1855 by John Ward. as showing the weak
ness of Mr.. Taylor's contentious.
That is an Isolated case" said Mr.. Tay-
Tor, land dealt not with the transfer Of a
player. but with an entire club. Should. in
the course of events. the magnates desire
to transfer one or the entire team from one
city 10 another. the players would not OBJ
iect. What we want Is TO help the mag
rates put the game on a better status. The
players have talked all these matters over.
They agree with you that rowdyism should
be abolished at any cost. IN this respect
the players have put the matter up TO the
owners. The players are human. In the
heat of a game they lose their heads. But
you have the power to stop IL. You have
the power TO discipline fractions players.
Why don't you administer fines? The ques-
ton of stopping the rowdy ball Is up to
you. We want these things put in the con-
tract. We realize that you magnates could
easily get together aud have "A secret un-
Outstanding that would render imperative
tic CudnStS We dch ioT, Uul We Dttltft tbu
will be fair and square with US DO as we
ask, and We believe baseball will take on a
new life"
At the conclusion OF the hearing Mr.. Tay-
tee promised the players TO consider the
players wanted put I'm vogue. The commit
tee promised the players on consider the
matter at once and give them n decision
tomorrow.
Immediately after the hearing the
Leagues circuit committee, composed OF
Messrs. Hart, Brush, Rogers and Soden.
went into session. Their session lasted
until 5 O'Clock, when the meeting OF the
League was called.
At the conclusion of the meeting OF the
circuit Colonel Rogers said the
meeting was informal and he could not
tell what was done. I'VE talked oyer the
American League. but II was I'm an informal
way. We could not discuss IL officially. for
the reason that there Is nothing 10 dis
cuss. Mr.. Johnson has not made any de-
mands OF the National League. nor has he
signed the national agreepent. Just at
present the American League has no ex-
istence. SO Ear as the National League Is
concerned"
A memorandum of the players demands
having been submitted to the League. Mr..
Taylor made public the principal points
covered In IL. They follow:
"F1rst--Club owners do not have the right
TO reserve players at a salary less than
that provided for the ensuing year. nor for
more than three years.
"-Second-Not 20 buy. sell. assign. trade,
loan, accept. select or claim service OF
any player for any period I'm any way
without his written consent.
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