Sunday Washington globe., 1902-05-04
(By Revere Rodgers. J

Several persons in the past week have
halted me upon the public highways of
this city and have asked my opinion on the
Lajoie case, and whether I considered the
reserve clause as being credit or dis
credit to baseball
Now have always been violently op-
posed to such a one sided and wholly un-
just measure as this damnable reserve
clause" 1t is unjust in its main purposes,
which gives the magnates the right to hold
a man against his wishes, and to the detri-
ment Of his interests. For certain num-
Der of years man simply becomes so
much movable property-that is he can
move, if his owner allows him to do so-the
most interested party, the man himself
has no say, whatever, but must silently
obey the dictates of the one whom be signed
this obnoxious clause" for.
In support of my argument against the
reserve clause" and other similar MUS
tices which have for many years been
practiced against the ball players. I main
tain, that a mans abilities are peculiarly
that mans own individual property and
such pecuniary emoluments accruing from
said abilities, should most certainly belong
to that man, and no person I care not who,
has the right to condemn player for max
ing as large sum of money from his ac-
quiTed abilities as he possibly can.
Suppose now, for instance, that a likely
youngster from some one of the minor
leagues should be signed by a magnate con-
trolling team in the majo league and that
this same major Lacquer should in his first
year rank as high as the best player in the
major league; suppose that when the maj or
league magnate signed the boy that the got
his signature to a three year contract carry
ing the usual reserve clause" feature, do
you think that it would be justice that this
boy would be doing to himself and family
to work for this man three years for sum
about one-third or perhaps one-fourth of
the amount he would receive elsewhere2
Would you stand for it? Well, think not
And this is just what the reserve clause"
is inserted into contracts for. Think of the
enormity of the outrage, that a man can die
tate to another man where he will haze to
play-if he wants to play at all-for the
next three years. No player should sign a
contract which carries with it a reserve
clause, for by so doing he virtually dis
poses of all the rights and privileges popu-
larly supposed to be possessed by an Amer
-iSan citizen
This reserve clause" has been the means
VI putting uAOIC kOOQ men out OF the DuB1-
ness than any other measure ever perpe-
trated against the ball player, and it has
only been but a few years back when a
magnate, through any trivial excuse, could
bench" a man aOikhOWt paw for as long a
term as suited that autocratic parsonage.
For misplays or a falling off IN batting or
fielding, player could be fined any amount,
or if hurt or made sick while in the per.
of hic Itaffaa . T,.,.tI
the magnates as to whether the players
name was continued on the clubs pay. roll,
and the most interested party and the suf-
ferer, through these many indignites-the
player-had no redress at all. Why? Be-
cause he had signed-been compelled to
put his signature to this damnable reserve
clause, - which placed him at the mercy of
the magnate to do with him-and in many
cases to do" him-fOr a given number of
years.
have in mind now a once famous in
fielder, who told me in a voice choking
with emotion of the outrageous ind.gnities
which had been heaped on his head by a
magnate whom he had been induced to
sign a reserve clause" contract with
This player led the National League in his
position when he first signed with this
magnate, and he somehow incurred the
enmity of his owner-for this is what the
magnate always pressed upon his players
minds-and this player / speak of was
benched" for the entire season, and he
was daily told that he was a dead one"
that he vas mo good, 4" etc. He begged
the maRna,e to grant him his release, as
good half dozen clubs would have been
glad to have received him, but the only
reply he received to his entreaties were
further insults and indignitiss until the
poor fellows spirit and ambition was so
badly broken that he was never able after
wards to play the game, and before this
happened he was the leading infelder in
the business.
This player told me of insults and indig-
mites offered him which in my opinion
justified him in taking the law in his own
hands, as this magnate, through the power
bestowed upon MIN by virtue of the re
serve clause" gave him the right to rum
this man financially and, to a greater or
less degree, physically.
But even with the still existing reserve
clause" the conditions under which ball
-yers work now. are far, far better than
they were decade ago; and do you know
the reason? Why, because the days Of the
Low Brows and the Slow Thinkers are
gone. Ihe sand Lot boy OF the old days
has been replaced in these days by smart,
intelligent youngsters, many of whom have
been educated in college. or have graduated
from excellent public schools. and these
young fellows in many cases have as much
mental abilities as the magnates them
selves. great many of these latter day
ball players are law students, and they are
perfectly Atshome in signing contracts. etc.,
so that each year. in view Of the smart men
who continually break into the game, the
conditions surrounding the players become
more improved.
There was time, and not many years
ago, when a professional ball player was
considered rather a shady sort Of character;
polite society read in the papers of the /
bibulous tendencies of these knights of the |
diamond and Of the weird and uncouth
lexicon which cub" reporters put into the |
HNaar r. a.