The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1910-01-05

question OF his future can come before
mat august body is for a maEnate 20
request his restoration to good stand
ing as has been pointed out, r
CHARLES W. Murphy owner Of the chi
cSEo Cubs 10 which King is bound
under reserve butts IN with a plea for
King. IT is going 10 cause trouble The
interference Of a TDagnate without the
EtlueSl or player would present an
anomaly that would make the commits
sion look foolish If allowed. and would
present unlimited opportunities for
charging the commission with being
open TO the influence Of the rich clubs
year
Should the King case come before the
national commission later n UrnDer
form, e will present a serious problem
king originally refused TO report 10
he Cubs because he had a Gfsa areeu-er7t
with Murphy and because he claimed
ne could make more out Of his private
business IN Kansas City than he cor-Ts
9ll OF catching The right 10 quit work
= LHa-lLellaole IN q free country. and Il
is extremely doubtful whether the com
MISSION VIII ever be able to make good
on us rule suspending a player who IS
UnCeT contract OF reserve who merely
refuses 10 report and violates No gfT.-
baseball law It Is the weakest position
the commission has ever assumed and
one II VIII have the greatest IFffrrfIfc
IN maintaining Innuuerable situations
might arse DeceSSita1inE a ball urfave-
quitting the game for a year or two.
even n under reserve. TO impose a four
ear suspension on him for so doing
might pave the way for so much fufT1s-
tee that no civil court would hardly
Tor q minute consider the rule equitable
POSITION by playing against outlaw
teams a suspension on that ground
might stand, for civil courts are averse
70 interfering with the reasonable reEu-
n Fr-~ al -
tons, but mere failure to report Is not
gong 70 prove sufficient ground for dis
qualifying a player You can make 2
Der that the courts will presently dpci6e
ibis way should a player seek redress
from them for the enforcement of th,,
commissions rule as it now stands
The national commission should he 4
little careful in the matter OF passing
II Billy Murray cannot enforce his
contract with the Philadelphia National
LeeEUe club, We would Ike TO inquire:
why IS q contract and when2 ATurray's
document was drawn up by shrevd law
Eers in good faith on both sides and
was to run for three years He IS still
owed $3.50 on the first year and Il has
two more years to run He IS reported
as appealing to the national commits sion
against the direct abrogatiOn OF the doc
uEent By the Philadelphia National
League club. II the commission does
not enforce his claim. the public will
wonder why Il exists, and, Dres1IuiD-
the contract is as strong as Il has been
stated TO be, why any man connected
with baseball should be such an idfc-
as TO waste time and money having con
tracts made with magustes. Legal doc
uments between employees and clubs
would appear as huge jokes if Murray
does not win. and. II ball club repu6i-
ateS such a binding obligation as tho
Philadelphia club has done, how much
would a mere verbal obligation count
-OrZ The answer would be that the
aan who relies either upon the word OF
honor or the signed, sealed, and deliv-
cred papers Of such a corporation would
be crazy enough 70 bite the postoff1Ce
and be a menace TO the public