Evening star., 1909-01-24
CHICAGO LEAGUE
WELL RECEIVED
Organization Would Remove
Harbor for All Contract
Jumpers.

CHICAGO. January 23.-Organized
base ball will take kindly to the over
lures of the Chicago Base Ball League.
the new mi-professional circuit which
was launched last week. President Ban
E. Johnson of the American league said
the national commission will meet the
semi-pro promoters more than half way
in their plan to eliminate all friction
between organized base pail ana the
new Chicago circuit.
Under the present plan all of the play
ers who are now connected with the new
circuit and who are on the lists OF The
organized base ball as ineligibles will
seek reinstatement and then secure their
release from the clubs to whom they are
appOrtioned on the reserve list
For instance, Jimmy Callahan, who is
under the ban of the commission, will
likely apply for reinstatement, and should
the commission act favorably on his pc
tition he will then close a deal with
President Comiskey for his release. Nc
Nichols, Meier, Hughes and others who
are to be enrolled with the Chicago
league will likely follow the same course.
The new league will be granted certain
rights as 40 protection for its players
the same any circuit enrolled in Or
ganized base ball, but will get no ter
ritorial rights.
Can Protect Own Players.
Under the past arrangement the play
ers under contract to the clubs in the
local semi-pro circuit have been secured
by the big leagues at the latters dis
cretion. but the club owners rights to
the players have not been recognized.
ha hra ,orI, no
clubs will gain a property right to all
their players, and they can be bought
and sold the same as in any of the
minor or major leagues.
Contract jumpers, ineligibles and others
placed under the ban of the national
commission and national association will
not find home in Chicago hereafter.
should the proposed plan of affiliation
go through. Instead of being received
with open arms as heretofore, the in
eligible will be compelled to go else
where to pick up meal ticket money.
Instead of barking at the authorities of
organized base ball. the club owners
of the new circuit will look to the high
moguls their protectors
With the best semi-pro clubs in Chicago
under the wing of organized base ball and
the one outlaw league Of the country on
It's last legs. the major and minor league
club owners will have little to fear in the
future from their unruly players.
Nothing Doing for the Jumpers.
It will be practically impossible for a
contract jumper to sign with any sort of
a club that will give more than enough to
buy coffee and sinkers at least once a
day This will not be a very pleas
prospect for the player who becomes dis
satisfied with the club under which he is
registered, and he will think twice before
he jumps, for in ma jOrity of cases he
will be compelled to jump out of the dia-
mond game entirely If he does not live
up to his contract.
$50 far as ] know now said President
B. B. Johnson OF the American League
yesterday. 1.-The new league in Chicago is
going about It's organization in the right
way and l am almost positive the ma
tional commission will meet the promoters
of the new circuit more than half way"
President Charles A. Comiskey went on
record yesterday as being in accord with
the plan of the new league and declared
he would not put any stumbling block in
its way. President Murphy of the Cubs
announced his views at the dinner Friday
night. The Cubs executive puts 1t UP to
the national commission to handle the
case and says the decision of the supreme
court of base ball will suit him.