The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-01-20
ODD CONTRACTS
OF BALL PLAYERS
MaqnateS Have to Deal With
Queer Characters in Sign
ing Up Talent.
BY HUGH S. FULLERTON.

Signing a ball player to a contract
sometimcs involves queer conditions
The Joke OF the entire matter is that
there never was a. contract made in base
hall-that is. on the regular contract
form-that would hold for ten minutes
IN a court Of law. but just the same they
are binding, because the baseball organi-
zailons Of the country make their own
laws-and enforce them.
Managers have to deal with some odd
characters. and often the contracts they
make with the players. who. as a rule.
know nothing OF law and little OF bust
ness, are fantastic things. l once helped
sign a pitcher who stipulated In his con-
tract that he was TO be permitted TO take
two chews Of tobacco a day and smoke
a cigar each day. He had heard that ma
iOr league players were forbidden TO
smoke % chew. and he did not pronose
10 be robbed of these privileges
Wadders an Odd One.
One Of the oldest things ever entered
into was the contract between the Chi
cago National league club and George
Edward Waddcll as framed by Thomas
kidders ir the world.
Rube had. I'm the language Of r. Dono-
hue got through" I'm PittsburR. He
openly was threatening to annihilate sew
one of his periodical rampages. Boston
wanted him badly-and 50 did CHICAGO
Boston offered 90 give him 50 500 for the
remainder Of the season and Chicago WAS
willing 10 pay, nm only $500. and LOTUS
was delegated TO sign Rube and make
him be glad to knock off 81 100 from his
earnings from the end Of Nav TO the
middle Of October. LOTUS cornered
George Edward and commenced toIiying
him.
TN tell you. Tom said Eddie. "rd
lots rather play with YOU than with Bos-
ton. but they offer me SLIGO more"
That's al right said Tom. Don't
JET a little thing like that stop you from
good fellows"
For perhaps half an hour they argued
along IN that line. and then Tom said.
VI tell you. Eddie, what I'll do. You
slsn lnat contract and when we get to
ne" YORK / u buy you the best Panama
AN right" said George Edward
Just pot that I'm the contract. -
go LOTUS inserted IL in the contract.
ana George Edward. perfectly satisfied
signed mp and Joined the team. When
t.eF Got TO New York LOTUS bought him
The NlW Panama-for SOS.
Never Kept Contract.
James A. Hart once signed a nlavor
rom Eutala. Ala, 20 one Of the oldest
contracts ever framed. and IL that NAV
cr had lived up to his agreements H.
National league would have seen tbe
greatest star that ever PLAYED the game
However something happened TO him he
lele the season Opened-DosSfbIv no el;ed
beinE too good to live. At any rate ~
never appeared to keep the contract
ilc PLAYER wrote 20 Hart d,,rino e.
winter and told him how GOOD he III, .ie
among other things he said.
nlt 300 this summer and can do as
"eI pm lhe National league. Nv fielding
average was Loo and il would have bee1
neller bGt Tor the bad scoring we have
aoNn mere and some bad PLAYERS on orr
team whose errors were charged 10 mo
VII agree TO hit $50 in the National
Hart at once forwarded him a contract
cli.iEg for $4,000 for the next season pro-
liu'ng ic aid as he agreed The con
tract was signed and returned. but the
played never appeared. That was one
7, aSon Chicago didn't win the pennant
Race to Get Player.
Ted Sullivan. the most persistent hunter
or PLAYERS ir the world. returned from
,Nt lfip with q contract signed up i'm due
.oIm. it was In the war days. and both
'asues were after a certain player-who
WAS missing for the winter Finally
.gmehody located the player far up i'm
Nonlara aud IL was race to see who
1i there first
Ted had half days start on the rem
niative OF the rival league and made