The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1902-04-22

Manager Lotus, of the Washington
team asserts that he is not in the least
cast down over the Pennsylvania supreme
court decision in the case of Napoleon
Lajoie, the crack second baseman, de-
cIaring that the National League players
who jumped to the American League must
return TO the older organization, OF not
play ball.
0rth, DeIehanty, Townsend, and Wolver-
ton the Senators affected. all assert that
come what may they viii not return to
the Phiilies- They intimate that they
viii carefully keep out of the jurisdiction
Of the Pennsylvania courts
President Ban Johnson, OF the American
take a hand in the matter, and John I
Rogers, Of the National, is expected here
in q few days 10 apply for restraining
order from the District courts to prevent
the recaIcitrant Senator'S from taking
part in the opening games.
A hot fight is therefore expected, with
the result in doubt The officials of both
leagues are determined to fight the case
10 the end, as upon its ultimate result
1EpcAt2S- practically the SGCGGSS or ran
ure OF the organizations involved
When the American League was started
the magnates of the then only major
league declared the new aggregation OF
clubs would be q fat failure. But its
success was so marked il its first sea
son that II Immediately took rank as a
major league equal to the oId-established
body The present season is regarded,
therefore, as the critical moment in base.
ball history, when the National League,
if successful in its legal fight. viii regain
some Of its lost prestige. though If IN
successful its rivals viii outdistance 1t
and thereby seriously affect the value OF
the old clubs-pIayers, franchises, and
every other sort Of property.
History u the Case.
The history of the Lajoie case has been
one Of extreme interest to everyone in
terested in baseball The legal battle Tor
his services was begun by the PhiIadeI-
pllia National League Club entering pro-
ceedings TO eDjoIR hin from playing with
any club ether than Philadelphia. on
which he was admittedly She star player
and, as veil, the leading second baseman
OF the League.
Much delay marked the beginning OF
the litigation. but finally the lower court
decided in favor Of the player. declaring
him free to play wherever he pleased re-
gardless Of any contract wnieh the Ph1i.-
delphia club claimed entitled them to his
services
The gist Of the decision vas that the
ola
be absolutely binding On one party to a
contract and not on the other as that,
1t was held would be in defiance Of a
fundamental rule Of equity If the re-
serve clause held the player to a per
Torrance Of certain duties under penalty
Of prohibiting him from earning his liv-
ing elsewhere at the same OCCUPATION If
he broke the contract, it was argued that
a counterbalancing penalty should have
been provided in case the player was anx-
ious to keep his contract and the club
owners refused 20 continue him in their
service
Captain Lajoie's BIOdesty.
The Philadelphia management tried to
compel Lajoie to admit on the witness
stand that he was so far superior to every
other second baseman then playing that
they could not replace him with an
equally capable player. that the team
was therefore weakened and the value OF
the club and its income from attendance
greatly lessened. Lajoie would not ad-
Ilit his pre- minence as a player.
Under the courts decision in his favor
he PLAYED with and captained the rival
Philadelphia team, the Athletics, Of the
American League last season and is in
the same position this year
Further Legal Action.
The further court procee@ .ngs which
ar. sure TO ensue are expected to follow
the long and devious paths of the laws
delay Some judges viii issue an injune-
tion on the Pennsylvania ruling prevent
ing men playing with the American
League who are under the other leagues
reserve rule; others will not.
Unless the Lajoie case has points of
Federal Importance in It, it cannot be
carried 10 the United States Supreme
Court. Il was the case of a Pennsylvania
club against one Of its own players and
is State matter. other clubs must fight
their own battle up to their own State
supreme court before they can count on
injunctions that viii hold
While the present decision applies only
10 Laloie. Bernhard and Fraser If is
claimed that the Philadelphia Club has
only to institute similar proceedings
against the nine other players who left
TIE team to join the American League 10
get the same verdict. The others are.
Monte Cross, Flick and Dugglcby. with
the Athletics; Delehanty. WoIverton orth
and townsend, with Washington: McFar-
land, with Chicago. and Donohue. with
ST LOUIS though the decision fust rem
aeFeQ applies only 10 Pennsylvania, II is
Z Weil-knoWn fact that a supreme court
HeclsIoh IN one State has greas weight
YIN me supreme court judges Of other
notwithstanding this. it is not at All
certain mat the Pennsylvania supreme
. 3 u I, aeelS4on would have been the same
N ehe case OF any other player than La
Effect of the Ruling.
The effect Of the courts ruling is to
Uphold the claim advanced BY the clul ss
to his being an unusually clever hall
player, and that it would be impossible
to iii his place on a team. But thar is
not true, probably. of any other ball
player who has quit the National I.earua
70 go TO the American. On the contrary
II IS thought that If all The players who
IA pe- jumped the reserve clause were TO
return TO their respective teams in the
National League, some OF them would