The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1908-01-16
P.T.POWERS
GETS BACK
AT PULLIAM
Tells Where Minor Leaguers
Stand 10 Squable Over
ReinStated Players.

P. T. Powers, president of the National
Association Of Minor League Baseball
Tubs. stirred up a hornets nest yesterday
by making a counter-attack on Harry
Pulliam, president of the National League,
who is quoted as having said that he will
compel the minors to bow to the will of
the National Commission in the case of
the ''black listed ball players who have
been reinstated by that body and that IL
the minors refused he would resign from
the National Commission, intimating that
that. would be the breaking up Of the ma
tionaI agreement.
The National Commission. representing
the major leagues in the national agree
ment. and the National Association OF
Minor Leagues, in January, 1907, at the
time the Tri-State League was taken into
the field, determined that an players who
had jumped their contracts with organized
baseball clubs and Joined the Tri-State
League shall be debnrred from ever play
ing IN any league under the national
agreement. other than the Tri-State.
Since then the National Commission has
seen ut to reinstate a number Of these con-
tract Jumpers, including Pitcher Lew
Wiltse, who finished with Newark last
season, while temporarily in good standing.
The National Association has refused to
lift the ban on these players. AS a result,
Harry Pulliam has interpreted this action
as a refusal on the part of the minors to
recognize the decision of the National
and all sorts of war" talk
has been flying around since.
Mr. Pulliam Is quoted as saying that he
would resign from the National Commits
sion If the mandates of that body were not
recognized by the mino leaguers," said
Mr.. Powers Yesterday. I'VE have recog-
nized all just decisions Of the commission,
but as to his threat to resign, let him re-
sign a%nd-well, If you want to print what
1 think about it just make 1t plain, and be
sure and use a big d.
IF Mr.. Pulliam resigned another man
would simply take his place. The minor
leagues should have a representative on
the commission. I, myself, would not
serve. But Mr.. Pulliam's statement does
not strike me as a threat Of the disband-
ing of the commission and a termination
of the national agreement. TIL major
leagues do not want war any more than
we do. They nave felt the thorn of out
law leagues and would not relish the idea
of having all the minor leagues arrayed
against them. So much for that.
LAS for the declaration that the minor
leadeTS were 0VeIllulHS liic uSClSlOh VI thS
National Commission by refusing to lift
the ban on the reinstated players. there is
this. to say:
lat the time the Tri-State League was
admitted into organized baseball the Ma
tional Commission, as party of the first
part. and the National Association, as
party of the second, agreed and went on
record to the effect that all players who
jumped their contracts to play in the Tri-
State League shall be debarred for all time
from playing in any other league under
organized baseball.
TWENTY-FIVE players were entered upon
that list of ineligibles. The waiving of the
rights to those players by the owners of
the clubs from which they jumped was an
inducement to the Tri-State people to get
them into the fold. but at the same time
the conditions named served as a punish
ment to the contract Jumpers.
Now, then, on top of that agreement,
to which the National Commission was a
party, the latter body has turned around
and reinstated some of those players. Does
that action dovetail with the original
agreement?
1--WE did not understand that the de-
cision to punish those contract jumpers
was open for an amendment and that a
year or SO later, one by one, they would
be restored to good standing.
IF any of those players were to be re-
instated the National Commission should
have conferred first with the National
Board. the minors representative body.
THAT was not done, and l do not pro-
pose to advise the lifting of the ban against
the players reinstated.
Il am, for organized baseball. The sole
object OF organized baseball is to protect
the rights of the members. I believe hat
a player who breaks a contract with a
club is not fit to be given employment
with any other club.
That is one thing in which Manager
Burnham erred, signing Pitcher Wiltse,
one of the very men who had been on
the list of ineligibles. I6 the National
Commission keeps on reinstating one
player after another what is to deter play
ers from violating their contracts and do
ing practically as they please in the
future? I will fight that issue TO a finish.