Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-06-09
KEEPS IT CONC
Bloomington Dope Writer Seems
Bent on Picking Fuss With
Rock Island
OVER GRAY AND WALTERS
Trying to Run League and Attend to
This City's Private Business as
Well.

This attempted raid on Rock Island
players by Bloomington is amusing.
withstanding the spite that is being
shown IN connection with it at the other
end of the line. Here is some more
cackle from the Paragraph, written,
supposedly, by the same party who has
so often before attempted TO stir up
trouble in this Bloomington-co correspond
entridden league. 1t appears under the
yenom-eXuding caption, Certainly Sub
lime:
The Bloomington baseball directors
We're amazed to learn that Leonard
Gray, the outfielder claimed by Rock
Island. but who it is believed was for
feited by the illegal farming out pro-
cess, played right field for Davenport
wednesday after accepting terms the
day before with Bloomington The
Rock Island papers of Wednesday an
nounced with a unanimity that the
source of their information that GRAY
had been assigned to center field in
the Rock Island team and would play
there until Carlisle, who had bad lee.
reported. After reaching that decision,
then Gray was sent to Davenport. 1t
begins to look as if the astute On Sex
ton had got himself involved in a very
nasty mess by such a practice and the
national commission may wish TO in
vestigate. 1t will be interesting to
know whether the wholesale farming
process of Rock Island will be support
ed when the national agreement posi-
lively prohibits it, and also whether
Gray can be allowed to play with Dav-
export after accepting terms with
Bloomington. 1t was decided yesterday
to test the matter, and President Miller
went to Springfield to consult with
Manager Corners. 1t was decided to
wire Gray TO report, and if he refuses
he may be ordered out of the game at
Davenport and blacklisted 1t will
then be up to the national commission
| 20 decide whether the Rock Island as
ISOLATION can carry on its farm process
| and whether the Rock Island-Daven-
! port combination can exchange players
in this free and easy fashion. after &C.
cepting terms with other clubs. As
| Gray did not get a hit in the game
| Wednesday. il may be that Reel is the
| better man but there is a principle at
stake and the affair will not be
dropped"
0, oysters. Wouldn't that ossify
your gizZard?
Trying to Run League.
| It's another case of baseball
writer trying to run the league. He
has on one or two occasions been Civ
en- about what he had coming by Rock
| Island, but it appears he has not learn
| ed, and must have it handed to him
| again. 1t seems that he might have
| taken bunch by this time that the
local management is able to look after
its own affairs. He ought to be con
tent with merely running the league
| and not come dipping in here.
In the first place Rock Island is en-
| tirely within its rights in farming play
ers to an Independent team. Baseball
law does not prohibit this so long as
the terms of the players contract are
! lived up TO. The Bloomington dope
| writer can easily set himself right on
this point if he desires. Therefore,
| Rock Islands contracts with Gray and
Walters are perfectly good and Bloom
ington never had the ghost of claim
on either. Bloomington may test, pro
test. contest. blacklist order out of the
game and be hanged.
In the second place, the Bloomington
management, if it has done all the Pan
tagraph says it has, is in mighty small
business. Tampering with members of
competing team has always been con-
sidered reprehensible in the last de-
gree and is still so regarded here. In
fact it is none of Bloomington's business
where Rock Island players are or the
conditions under which they are play
ing.
But the chances are President Mil
Ter and Manager Corners are not near
ly as much exercised and anxious to
vindicate principle" as they are
IN no