Los Angeles herald., 1908-09-27
BOSTON GETS
PLAYER SIMON
NATIONAL COMMISSION HAS
MADE AWARD
FAILURE TO REPORT DEFEATS
ANGELS CLAIM
Cedar Rapids Catcher Bought BY
Berry Goes to Beantown Because
of Operation of InequitabIe
Rule Governing Drafts

At a recent meeting of the narional
baseball commission the question OF
the right of a major league club to
draft players that had been sold by
one minor league club to another was
clearly defined and the rights of all
clubs definitely stated. BY this ruling
Catcher Simon, bought by the Angels
from Cedar Rapids in August and
drafted by the Boston Nationals from
the Cedar Rapids club September l,
is awarded to Boston and will not
report to Berry. According to the rul-
ing, Simon should have reported to
the Angels within three days to make
the sale legal and to protect Los An
geles from the drafting rule In MS case.
Because he did not so report he is sub
ject to draft by Boston and the COM
mission has awarded him to Boston.
Following is the
Ruling in Full
The attention of the commission was called
to this matter by Mr. j. H. Farrell, secretary
of the National association. He points out
that previous to August 20 of this year a num-
Der of minor league players were purchased
by minor club from another and his office
duly notified thereof; that afterward, to wit,
on September /, and since that time, q NUMBER
of these players were drafted by various
major league clubs from the minor league
clubs that had sold the players, instead OF the
minor league clubs that had purchased the
players, and for that reason these drafts as
made should be set aside. The players In
volved and the clubs interested are as follows:
National league-Drafts: By Chicago, from
Rockford, Player Butcher previously sold to
Toledo; by Chicago from Madison, Player
Leise, previously sold to Toledo; by Chicago
from Wausau, Ward Miller previously sold to
Toledo; by Chicago from Newcastle. Player
Weimer, previously sold to Harrisburg by
Chicago from Lancaster, Player White, pre-
viously sold to Columbus; by Chicago from
Mansfield, Player Channel previously sold
to Columbus; by Boston from Cedar Rapids,
Player Simon, previously sold to Los Angeles;
by Boston from Paris, ILL.,. Infielder Steles.
previously sold to Terre Haute by New York
from Savannah, Player Kieber, previously
sold to Memphis; by Pittsburg from Marion.
Player Tate, previously sold to Atlanta; by
Pittsburg from Independence, Player Richard
son, previously sold to Toledo; by Cincinnati
from Galveston, G. A. Smith, previously sold
to Oakland.
American league-Drafts: BY Cleveland
from Gulfport, Player Lively, previously sold
to Montgomery; by Cleveland from GAINESVILLE.
Player Fisher, previously sold to Toledo; by
Cleveland from Houston, Player Truesdale,
previously sold to Oakland; by New York
from Austin, Catcher Hilifer, previously sold
to San Francisco by st. Louis from San
Antonio, Player Griggs, previously sold 70 To-
ledo by St. Louis from Lancaster, Walter
Justus, previously sold to Columbus.
Rule Sc OF the commission provides
among other things as follows:
No sale of minor league player by one
minor league club to another or to major
league club shall be permitted within ten
days of the first drafting day OF each year;
and whenever minor league player Is SOLD by
one minor league club to another such player
shall be required to report to the purchasing
club within three days after his sale. In case
| a minor league player so sold by one minor
league club to another does not report to the
purchasing club within three days after such
sale or up to the time Of the commencement
| of the drafting season, unless prevented by
| sickness, accident, etc, then such player shall
| be subject to draft from the club that he was
| with on August 20.
This rule is plain and explicit. 1t was pro-
mulgated many months ago. 1t cannot be
| misunderstood by anyone.
| Without questioning the legality of any OF
| the purchases of players herein referred to by
one minor league club from another, the COM
mission comedies that minor league clubs have
a right to make such purchases, but to ex-
empt the players from draft except from the
purchasing club under the rule above referred
to. the players must report to and be with
the clubs purchasing them before the drafting
seasons commences or else they must be sub
ject to draft from the clubs that the players
were with on August 20. We believe that this
is fair and just to all club owners and players
alike. On the other hand, II minor league
clubs of a high classification were permitted
to purchase minor league players OF lower
classification without limitation and without
having the players report. 1t would be only
short while until the drafting system. in SO
far as 1t pertained to the major league clubs
and class A clubs would become g farce and
the covering up of players could not be pre-
vented IL practices of that character were per-
mitted to stand. For illustration: Our at
tention has been called to the fact that one
class A club alone had purchased nineteen
players out of one class d organization with
out a single one of these players having re-
ported to them. 1t is not necessary to COM
ment as to what the results would be If all
class A clubs adopted similar tactics and APP
piled the purchases to all the leagues OF a
lower classification instead of one only. The
covering up of players and pockeying with
players should be prevented at all times II It Is
within the power of the commission to do 80.
and we relterate If this practice was upheld
and continued the drafting question in SO far
as it pertains to all clubs. whether major or
minor. except those who adopted practices
of this kind, would be absolute farce.
TT should also be remembered that when
the drafting section Of the national agreement
was changed and the major league clubs linz
tied to the drafting Of one player from each
class club instead of two, that the right
was reserved for major league clubs to draft
at least one player from class A club. and
that one player meant a member Of the reg
uar team and did not apply to players of
lower classification that acquired by
class clubs, either for the purpose OF in
GLIDING them in the list of players liable to
draft or for prospective use, thereby defeating
the legitimate object Of the drafting rule.