The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1910-07-07

IN an cases, without referendum even
to the club owners, made two men
supreme to enact laws TO punish all
offenses and to create offenses for
which punishment might be inflicted
The chief objection Of players to the
high court of the game ia that they
believe too much power has been
given to two men, both naturally In
fiuenced In favor of the employers.
Nor in baseball laws is II necessary
even for a player to sign a contract,
or enter into any agreement to be-
come an asset of club. In the case
of A. A. O'Brien, Of the Ilion IN. "
club, the supreme court Of baseball
ruled on the subject. OBrien played
with Ilion, but refused to accept any
contract and, after playing for a
time. left the club to attend to more
profitable business. In spite Of that
fact, Ilion placed him under reserva-
tion. and accepted the draft price
from the Philadelphia Athletics in
payment for the player. The nation.
al commission decided O'Brien be-
longed to lion, that Philadelphia had
the right to draft him, and barred
O'Brien from any voice in the matter
In no case, as far as the records
show, has the question of the justice
Of the salary offered been taken into
consideration by the court In deciding
cases The club itself is made sole
Judge of salaries, and that has opened
the way to injustice. In several re-
corded cases players have been Of.
fered less than half the salaries paid
them the previous year. There was
one major league pitcher who re-
ceived $4,000 a season. In a game he
hit the manager of another club three
times with pitched balls, finally injur-
ing him severely. The manager ac-
cused him Of hitting him purposely.
Two years later the manager traded
for the pitcher, offered him a salary OF
$1,000, explaining that he was getting
revenge, and drove the man out Of
baseball.
The players do not oppose baseball
law, regarding some final court as
necessary to the welfare of the game.
II Is the frequent abuse of the power
and its use to oppress that foments
the rebellious spirit among the play
ers. One constant scource of friction Is
the rule governing reporting for spring
training. Many players have other
business interests and object to spend
ing six weeks training, without pay,
oh ha nrnAtahlu
cupied. Their contracts require them
to report at a stipulated time before
their salaries begin, and special laws
provide fines for failure to do so.
Recently laws have been enacted by
the commission to prevent players
from engaging in games out OF sea
son, the club owners desiring to re-
tain absolute control over players for
the u months Of the year:
The complaint of the players is not
so much against baseball law itself as
against the manner in which 1t Is ad-
ministered, and against the custom of
not allowing the defendant player an
opportunity to present his side of the
case either to the president of his
own league or to the national commits
sion. The player who has failed to
report to his club in the spring or
violated (perhaps technically some
fractional part of his contract, finds
himself in trouble. His case is taken
up behind closed doors by the national
commission and he is fined without a
chance being given him to present a
defense, or to offer an explanation.
A club owner, who is called before the
court, is told to prepare a defense
against the charge which has been
made against him. frequently the
commission, or one member Of It,
states weeks In advance of hearing
what the decision will be, and that
before consulting other members Of
the commission. .# t,,s-t ...