Waterbury Democrat., 1903-01-02
BASEBALL.
Minor Leagues Should Be Protected if
 --, Agreement Is Made.

Minor Leagues Should Be Protected if
 , Agreement Is Made.
 Even if Pittsburg does get an Amer fcan league club will not get excited" says Barney Dreyfuss My park is in the heart of the city. It is only five minutes walk from the business dis trict. while the park the American 1 league folk want is twenty-five min utes' ride from the center of Pittsburg. l have 8 great ball team and it would not be possible for the American league people to put even a fair team in that city. Let them go ahead if they want to and Barney will be- there at the fin ish."
 If the National and American lea gues settle their differences as result of the peace conference in Cincinnati next week some action should be taken regarding the minor leagues. A sort of
 an understanding will have to exist
 between the big and little fellows for
 the good of the game and for the pro- lection of the small fry. Under the existing circumstances there is noth-
 ing to prevent a big league club from
 utsrupting team of a minor Organl-
 zation without paying cent to the
 club to which the players are under
 contract. This condition should not
 exist. The little fellows are entitled
 to their rights, and it is the duty of
 the major leagues to look after them.
 This, of course, has been out of the
 question while the war has been rag
 ing between the National and Ameri- can organizations. Without the small
 leagues the national sport would be de-
 prived of its school. The big leagues hry A~ from the town lots instead of first
 having them educated in that great
 institution of learning-the minor league
 Charly Ganzel, Boston's old catcher,
 Is now conducting a profitable busi-
 ness in that city. Speaking of his ca- reer on the ball field, he relates these 1 interesting incidents: 'T began play ing in Racine, Wis, and in 1884 went to St Paul to play on the old Western league team. Near the close of that season accepted an offer of $1 300 1 from the Philadelphia club. Tn the 1 spring of 1886 refused to report ow- 1 ing to a cut of $1OO salary, for then 1 there was no clause in the contract
 relating to cutting. I was then living l in Minneapolis and I received a letter from the club stating that unless 1 did report my name would be black l listed. Ireturned, reported myself dis satisfied and I stayed until June F, 1886, when was released through the
 assistance of Harry Wright. i'm
 mediately signed with the Detroits for l $1,0O0. From this time date my success as player. Charley Bennett,
 who, I believe, was the. best catcher l that ever wore mask, was injured
 by a foul tip after the first three days l playing and | went behind the bat as something of an unknown quantity. During the season caught in sixty-odd garnes.'' A proposition to reform the playing l rules will be presented to the peace l comnaittee next week. x To do this ef- 1 fectiveIy the magnates will be obliged ] to act in conjunction with the rules
 committee of the National Association of Minor leagues. The men who ad- I vocate the change contend that the na- tional game should be played the same 1 all over the country. The Boston club
 will ask for the repeal of the foul stroke rule, not; as the Hub Ipagnates say, that 1t affects the clubs batters ! so much. but because the patrons or the game in that city are opposed to it. I As a majority of the National league
 club owners are known to be in favor of the rule 1t would seem as if the eff forts of the Bostonese will result in 1 their defeat A rule talked sof, and which may e.,. be advocated. is that 1 which will not compel pitchers to go to 1 the bat. This matter has been the
 cause of more or less talk for several
 years, but 1t has never been introduced l at major league, or even minor league meeting, for the reason that the
 minor organizations followed blindly the lead set by the major leagues, It lis contended that the pitcher should libe allowed to pay full attention to his iwork and should not be compelled to
 tire himself running bases after hard
 inning in the box. 1t is pointed out that very few pitchers are good bat l ters and hence the elimination would
 proeide more hitting in the game.