Evening star., 1908-01-21
PuI|iam viii Resign If Not
Sustained.
WANTS BLACKLIST KILLED
Claims National Agreement Is Vic.
lated by Minors.
GAMES POLITICS TO BE CLEAN
Horse Collapses With Rider Be-
neath-McFarland Put Of by
Nelson-Bowling Battles.

fTSSlueNt marry I. 1UlI am OF tue Ma
tionai League yesterday made the posi-
tive statement that unless the National
Association of Professional Leagues ttha
minor league body rcscinds the so-called
unjust un-American and ultra Russian
blacklist resolution that organization
passed last October he will resign his posi-
ton as president of the National League
and wash his hands of organized base ball
forever.
Il am in dead earnest in this matter"
said Puliam. land If the decision is
against me the National League will elect
my successor at Its February meeting. If
90 down in defeat 1 will retire from the
game that l have served faithfully for
fourteen years without regret. l will
have that which had when I entered the
game. viz. my self-respect. I will have
in addition the gratitude of the ball play
er-the clean ball player-who knows
what r.sked to preserve his rights; and
! will have also the respect and con-
fdence of the great ball public, VINO be-
lieve that the politics of the game should
be played as cleanly and as fairly in the
legislative halls as the game Itself on the
diamond. So. therefore If seemingly de-
feated. the victory will he mine.
'On January 16 p. T. Powers, president
of the National Association. in an author
lied interview stated that as a result of
the compact with the Tri-State League
twenty-five ball players were doomed to
remain for life in that organization: and
quoting from his own words. he says:
Now. then. on top of that agreement,
to which the national commission was a
party. the latter body has turned round
and reinstated some of these players.
Does that action dovetail with the original
agreement?
lon January is Powers said: There is
no blacklist, but there is an ineligible
"On January 16 Powers spoke by the
card, reiterating the statement of Presi-
dent T. H. Murnane of the New England
League. made over his signature: The
national commission has now reinstated
four men who were on the ineligible list
for jumping contracts.
Pulliam claims the National Association
by its action violated section ) of the
national agreement, which reads: 1T
shall have for its objects the promotion
of the welfare Of ball players as class
by developing and perfecting them in
their profession and enabling them to
secure adequate compensation for ex-
pertness." He also says there was
violation of the section reading: "A
player suspended by a club or league for
a term longer than ten days shall have
the right of appeal to the national com
mission"
Pulliam said further: Il note that p.
T. Powers takes great satisfaction in
publishing broadcast statement from
August Hermann. chairman of the ma
tional commission, in which Mr.. Herr
mann defended his position. That fact
does not surprise me. notwithstanding
that / have three letters from Mr.. herr
mann written in November after the ac-
. tion of the National Association, in
z which he says over his own signature
/ that the action of the National Associa-
tion was unwarranted and would not be
allowed to go unnoticed by the national
comuission.
''Mr. Hermann is politicians great
politician-and that explains the reason
why he takes different position In Jan
!, uary. 1908. to that in November. 1907.
Who ever saw a politician stand hitched
to any proposition for a period of three
months? l never did AS a weather
prophet the genus politician can give
the United States weather bureau cards
and spades in ascertaining which way the
wind blows
IN conclusion. I want to say that my
position in this matter is fixed and ir-
revocable. / know only one system of
life, and that Is to play the game In the
open and deal the cards above the table"
When the wise solons of base ball for
muated the playing rules they thought
that every point Liable to come up in the
game ha dbeen covered. Such a belief has
been wiped out, and every now and then
the rule makers are compelled to draft
some new rule to govern a new point.
Despite their efforts. peculiar situations
still present themselves, and in many of
the cases the umpire must use his judg-
ment rather than follow the rules. Last
summer Jack Sheridan was confronted
with a rather unusual play. but his usual
good Judgment was in evidence and he
got away with the disputed point with
little or no trouble. In Boston the right
field bleachers serve the foul line in
deep right field. Chicago was playing Bos-
ton, and as the game meant much to the
White Sox they were fighting every inch
of the way. With two men out, the score
tie and men on second and third. the
Chicago batter sent a long fly to deep
right. 1t was evident that the ball would
either go foul into the beachers or strike
the inside of the bleachers and bound
into fair territory. The Chicago runners
were tearing around the bases. hoping
that the ball would be fair. Jack Sheri-
dan was watching the bail closely, and.
as he afterward said. he expected to see
IL go foul. To the CONSERVATION of every
body, one of the beacherites stood up.
extended his hands into fair territory and
caught the ball. The Chicago batter and
was claimed. Although in base ball in
twenty years, IL was the first time Sheri-
dan had been called upon TO decide such a
play. Jack called the batter back and
sent the runners to the bases they occu-
pied before the hit was made. On his
second chance the batter flied out. Chi
cago won the game, and but little more
was said about the play, but some OF the
White Sox still insist that Sheridan ruled
against them. inasmuch the wall was
In fair territory when interfered with by
an outsider. Sheridan contended that the
ball would surely have gone foul had no
interference taken place. and 1t would
have been an injustice to Boston to have
decided otherwise.
Right in thr heyday of the bunt poor
Ed Delehanty loved nothing so we'll as
10 drive the ball out of the lot and hated
nothing so much to have 10 lay il
down. When Bill Shettsline was manager
OF the team, about seven or eight years
ago. the Phillies had a game on their
own grounds with the score 3 TO l against
them In their half of the ninth inning
Flick. first batter up. singled. Thomas
beat out bunt. and then Delehanty came
ZIP with men first and second and no
body out elehanty strode up to the
plate. LIS face afame With rage because
lie had been ordered to bunt and advance
the men on base. leaving il to Lajjo'e.
NAo followed. TO bring them in and tie
The score. lie turned to the bench with
last appealing look for the signal Il
Nh hes out" but Shetts merely told big
I'd to DO he had been ordered As
DSl faced about again the pitcher let go
fast high one that caught him off his
guard. and he only missed getting a
broken head by throwing himself over
backward. his bat flying out of his hands
When I'd got IN again he was mad clean
through. ''Ru i e.. Del they yelled
from tic bench Il WILL" shouted back
er aimed another swift one straight al
Ilaffc aad hac clr Iro ~ \ &c