The Washington herald., 1908-02-24

the club has BEEN incorporated and the
organization completed. Parks have been
purchased or leased in every city with the
exception OF Philadelphia. and the an
nouncement concerning the location of the
grounds for the Quaker City club is ex-
pected shortly.
In some respects the Union League is
one OF the most unique organizations in
baseball II is an expansion Of the At
lantic League. which experienced a Sue
cessfuI season last year. and Ike the
Atlantic. is outside the fold OF organized
baseball.
No Reserve Clause.
A perusaI Of the Union League players
contract discloses two new features which
differ from the National Association con-
tracts. First. the reserve rule has been
entirely eliminated. and. second, a clause
has been inserted TO the effect that 3
per cent Of the players salary is TO be
withheld each pay day and deposited N
the bank in trust until the close Of the
season. when il viii be delivered 10 the
PLAYER on condition that he has not played
with any other club but the one employ
ing him in the Union League during that
year
The reason for this course is obvious.
1t is intended TO be n safeguard against
players jumping their contracts during
the playing season. and in reality it is
the only safeguard the Union League has
against contract jumping.
Although President Lawson has figured
prominently before the baseball public
for less than score OF years. it was last
season that he proved himself 70 be a
leader by organizing the Atlantic League
and directing il through a successful sea-
son. in the face of many difficulties. Law
son was the father Of the Central League
and Interstate League. which are now in
existence and are two Of the strongest
circuits IN organized baseball.
The fame Of Lawson is not limited to
the United States. but it also extends 70
foreign climes. where he engineered and
led several globe-troating expeditions. II
the winter OF 1Ss0-91 he managed the first
American team that invaded Cuba II
was on this trip that Manager John Nc
GraW, of the New York Giants. PLAYING
on the American team made his debut as
a professional player. For this Lawson
claims the credit of being the man who
brought out MCGraW In 1893 Lawson
| took his famous trip around the world
/ playing on native teams in England
/ Australia, New Zealand and Honolulu.
| Beginning his career as a pitcher in
/ 1855, on the Goshen Qnd0 team, he soon
/ branched out in major league company.
and the two following years found him
pitching for the Boston and PittSburg
/ National League clubs. On his return
/ from Cuba. In 1891, he played in the
! California League. and the next season
he was on the Atlanta team Of the South
ern League.
/ AS captain Of the Albany team he led
I that nine TO the New York State League
/ championship in 1894 In the following
/ year he managed team Of college play
ers called the Boston Amateurs. which
made tour of England, The team won
twenty games on the trip. In 1861 he
conducted an independent club at North
Adams. and in IS9S-gs he piloted the An
derson team Of the Indiana state League
/ Organized Central League.
Lawson blossomed out as a league or
/ ganizer in 1900. when he formed the Cen
tral League. That year he managed the
Peoria Qli) team After a successful sea
son in Illinois he joined issues with the
! Pennsylvania State League. and managed
Easton in 1901 and Scranton in 1902. In
/ 1904 Lawson organized the Interstate
League. That year he was at the helm
of the olean IN " team. and in 1915 he
; managed the OIL City Pa9 team in the
same league
When Lawson 1oated the Atlantic
/ League last winter the matter was look
ed upon as a joke. bat Lawson showed his
master hand by steering the organization
through the season. He managed the
Reading club, and in addition to winning
the pennant for that city. he successfully
bucked the invasion Of the Tri-State
League and cleared up $12,eo0 profit on
II the season
Il II was Lawson's determination to be at
the head Of a league which would later
develop into national organization that
led him 10 pass up the Central and Inter-
state 10 form the Union as an outlaw
affair. and invade big Eastern cities. al
ways looking ahead and hoping later 70
have the league expand until its circuit
viii be as large as the ones of the Ma
tional and American leagues.
II In each city in which the Union Lsazuo
has eucked organized baseball the cut.