The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-03-19
BIG LEAGUES
FEAR MINORS
Smaller Organization Too Powerful
Says Magnate.
BIG COMBINATION SCHEME
AMERICAN AND NATIONAL MAY
BE UNITED.

That the major leagues are afraid Of the
increasing power OF the minors IS inS -
president of the jersey City Baseball club
and advisor Of the National asSoCiau9-+,
who took part in the conference tha w, va
held the first Of the week in san IRAN
cisco He declared, further, that there -
movement on foot TO consolidate tIc
National and American leagues ana 70
put Ban Is. Johnson at the head OF theti-
Griffiths is quoted as follows:
You may not know il, but II IS on me
cards TO consolidate the American ana
National leagues into Il 12-cluh orSanlza-
ton. and put Ban B. Johnson at the mead
The one and only man VINO IS Dio& xH,lS
the deal is john i. Brush OF New AoIk;
Brush hates Johnson with a hatred that
Will never die, but as powerful as Brush
Is in the NatiOna league. nc may DC, OUT,
voted and the two leagues consolidated
and Johnson elected president OF the new
body. Brush is fighter from the GROUND
up. and he may defeat such union for
a time. but | think it is sure to come ia
the end. When the two big leagues 90 get
minors in the east will parallel them III
cities like Chicago Philadelphia ana New
York. where they have two clubs now.
and form "A competing League, winch VIII
be Just as strong as the old one. 1hey
don't want anything like this 90 occur,
and this is why Ban Johnson and some
of his friends are fighting so hard on
this drafting proposition BY Delhe az
lowed TO take two players from each MN
or club annually, the major leagues ROD
them of the cream of their talent AT d
small expense. What / am laOOrlEg Tor IS
to have the drafting clause abolished en-
tirely and what we are fighting for now
is d big step in that direction II YOU
were 4 business man would YOU want q
man to walk into your store and say, l IL
give you 10 cents for a pound OF cOItee
which was worth 20 cents? YOu WOuId
say: Il can't sell YOU the coffee FOR any
such sum: il is worth more but the GUS
toner would reply: That makes no an
ference: 10 cents is all I'll pay, ana ne
takes away the goods
This Is what the big leagues 90 10 u9
every year. They pick out young pla! =
ers they want. put their own price on
them and take them. In all other buSi-
neS5eS but this the owner has a word 10
say about what his property Snall sen lot
and who shall buy IL The major leagues
can well afford to nay for their talent,
for they draw the crowds. In Jersey city
YET our salary roll last year was ABOUT
as high a. the Brooklyn club Know
this, for l had a talk with Ned Hanloh,
who is a personal friend of mine, ana We
compared notes We pay players as nlsIl
as s. 400 Il season which is more salary
than some of the big league clubs are CIV
ing up 10 some OF their men.
''AH l want to say is that we nave mdue
our position very plain to Ban Johnson.
he knows what are after, and II tnee
class A leagues stand together they viii
win their fight as sure there Is su-
rremc being They have told US tnat we
didn't dare to fight and that If we did
break away the battle would only be a
skirnish. ard when Ban Johnson maze
such a remark 10 me at Chicago recehtll
/ recalled 10 him the fight the FaclIIc
Coast league put up when IL was HUE
pendent