Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-24
American Association Will
Not Enter Chicago.
"OUTLAW" LACKS SUPPORT
President Pulliam Defends Or
ganized Base Ball.
A. BENEFIT AND NOT A TRUST
Racing at New Orleans-Columbia
Chess Experts Lead-Rating
of Golfers.

The sensational space writers of the
west are about due for another big scare
story, as their latest work on the expan-
sion of the American Association has
gone all to pieces, and the Outlaw
league. for the east. is in the same boat.
With the American Association divided
upon the question of expansion the idea
of going into Chicago looks absurd. and
the sensational war reports can now be
dismissed from further notice.
The work of the promoters of the "Out-
law league has a very fiimsy appear
ance, when credence is given to the re-
port that they may place a club in York.
If there were any Westinghouse foolish
enough to hook" up with Lawson this
report should make them take to the high
grass. York has turned it's only base ball
held into building lots, and If good
grounds were available a town that lost
thousands OF dollars on a championship
team certainly does not look like a good
business proposition. Mr. Lawson will be
wise to keep up around Jersey, Delaware
and pennsylvania with his bush" league
but then he probably intends to do this,
ana Is doubtless happy over the fact that
he has been well advertised in the past
The outlaws would cut a sorry figure
IN washington. as all the local fans
nave decided to watch Manager Cantillon
very closely. the coming season, and all
the money they have to spend on base
ball will drift into the Golfers of the Ma
tionals' treasurer. Everybody has an idea
that Cantillon has gathered together quite
q nifty crew and they want to see this
opinion crystalline into a solid fact next
summer.
There should be lots of fun and ex-
element at American League Park TO-
morrow MI h.
team and the Sailors clash in the last
Ioot Dali game of the season. The
navy Yard team is made up of we'll
xno~n Mashingtonians. and with such
Mackey on the list it should be able to
make the husky sailors do their best.
should the weather be clear there will
aou t,ta s,o be large crowd at tne park;
will be over in time, and act as an ap-
petizer, for the Christmas dinner.
Harry Pulliam. the president of the
National League, has just come out
with strong Endorsement Of the views
OF Garry Hermann on the base ball
trust question. Hermann some time
ago stated absolutely that base ball of
the organized variety Is not a trust,
and stated his reasons for SO believing
at great length. Pulliam's statement
is even stronger than Herrmann's. The
National League president says:
do not consider organized base ball
a trust. A trust. as 1 understand IL, is
a combination for controlling the ne
cessities of life or public utilities and
has for its main object the despoiling
OF the producer and the wage Garner.
the, annihilation of the middieman and
the extortion of the consumer. The
only beneficiary Of trust is a small
circle that dominates the trust.
In base ball, through the workings
OF the national agreement, the creature
of organized base ball, the interests of
every one concerned are protected and
all. Never in the history Of the game
were players paid better salaries than
; they are today, and yet the promoting
Nof base ball Jas professional sport is
n most hazardous venture.
Ofhere are thirty-seven leagues in or
gApized base ball, representing 26O
cities. and / believe that it Is a fair
estimate 70 say that during the past
>-ssrde money was one in five. 1 cannot
say offhand how much money is in
vested in organized base ball, as it
Base bs is aSsouiey just
fieAcfn Its policy of blacklisting players
who have jumped contracts. The player
who signs contract. accepts money on it,
and then is bribed either by cash in hand
\ or promise or greater pay to jump the
contract ne has entered upon Is a crook
y pure and simp.e, and he should be handled
as such.
II believe. however. that each case
should be carefully considered on its
merits. and IL there are any extenuating
circumstances and the player shows an
inclinatson to be square in the future.
then ~ should be given chance to work
9th honest men.
professional base ball depends upon
c1slc pride for its chief source of support.
Take away civic PRIDE from ball clubs rep
resenting the various cities Throughout
the country, and make it simply an ex-
hbition of skill and sport by Tom, Dick
and Harry. and professional base ball
would be q thing of the past inside of
ten days. 1t Is absolutely necessary, there
fore, IN order to protect property inter-
ests and to induce capital to finance an
organization of expensive ball plants, that
they be protected. Therefore. l would
consider any league antagonistic TO the
best interests of base ball as profession
al sport that invaded the territory rights
of any club in aGganized baseball.
1T Is not true that ball player when
he signs his first Contract is virtually at
the mercy OF the owners in that he must
play for whatever figure is offered him at
the expiration of his Contract. There is no
working agreement between the major
league clubs regarding salaries manage
ment and policy, In addition to the ma
tional agreement.
Every ball player under the operation
Of organized baseball has the opportunity
to advance through his skill or proficiency
through the operation of the draft or pur-
chase. and. In case he Is so advanced in
his profession. his salary must be raised
in keeping with the class to which he
advances. Any ball player who feels that
he has been wronged in any way In a
financial transaction with his club has the
right TO appeal to the board of directors of
his league, and from that decision he has
final appeal to the national commits ION,
and the records OF the national commits
sion show that no ball player with GOOD