The Detroit times., 1910-08-30
sv HARRY NELLY.

4 ON Sept. 1 begins the lively scram-
Ma for ball players in minor league
y clubs not deemed worthy OF purchase
nut worth investing few hundred
dollars In with the hope that they
might be OF some use In the majors.
n other words. on Sept. ] the draft
ing season begins.
4 To the man unacquainted with the
ana and outs OF professional baseball
and whose insight Is connneu 10
watching the teams play upon she
field and words purchase. draft
s'reserve lists" ETC.. probably sounu
little short OF slavery and the tnought
OF selling an athlete like a barrel Oh
fat pork may be repulsive. httie
study OF the regulations governing the
national pastime and what looks IKE
semi-slsS-ery turns out to be best Tor
all concerned.
Baseball is founded on the principle
OF "the man who has tn emoney gets
the best--and pays the freight. be
fore the American league was formed,
!. the National had everything It's own
way and the minor league magnate
mt q nv poor run for his money.
Today he is protected by the rules Oh
n well-organized association. Inc
man who owns a minor league club
eets every cent his young players are
worth and often more, while the ma
for league magnate, in his anxiety 10
|. maintain pennant-winning ciup'
spends q big percentage or each sea
.sons profits experimenting with young
players whom he purchases or drafts.
Purchasing a player consists In
entering upon an agreement with the
magnate for whom the desired one
works prior to Aug. 20. Purchased
players usually are secured to report
the next spring, although one OF the
most promising sometimes come
around when the leagues In which
they work are over. Lists OF pur-
chased players, together with agree
ments OF sale. must be fled with the
national baseball commission on or
before Aug. 20.
The drafting system is a little more
Ic0mplicated. II involves several con.
ditions and ifs not included In the
more simple forms Of sale.
To begin with, leagues are divided
into Ave classes, as follows: Majors.
consisting OF American and National;
Class A; Class b, GLASS; c., and Glass
ID. One often hears the statement:
such Uand Such league Is going to
be faster because Its class has been
raised" All OF which Is pure bunk
and simple because the class Of q
league only shows how many people
live in the cities which compose the
circuit.
The theory of classification is the
larger the cities the better baseball
they can AFFORD because OF increased
attendance. Generally 1t works out,
although there are a few class b
'loagues faster than some Of the class
~ organizations. Class A leagues con-
tain over 1,000,0 900 population: Glass B
from 40O, 900 to 1000 900: Glass c, 200,-
20 to 100000: Class ID, up to 100000.
n For the purpose OF recruiting, the
major leagues can draft from Sept.
TO Sept. 10: Class A, from Sept. Is to
Oct. 1; Glass b. from Oct. to Oct
rs; Glass c. from Oct 15 to Nov. /.
Each league going down the scale OF
importance. OF course, has to take
what the bigger ones have left. Draft
Ing practically is confined to major
and Class A leagues. Few of the Class
- - ouHStchtiy WSdituy W Duhu NY
IA this manner, preferrin gto take
chances with recruits OF their own.
There are two scales of prices. one
Tor the major league club and one
Tor the minor. The same old principle
OF the club with the money contribut-
Ing more heavily than the poor brother
holds good in this instance. Major
league clubs pay per player as fol-
lows: Glass A, 81 900; Glass B, $3.50;
Class C, $500; Glass ID. $3.50. Minor
league clubs for the same men pay:
Class B. 5000; Glass C, $500; Glass d,
330U0.
The Glass A leagues have become SO
strong In late years the major leagues
have been willing to make special con-
sessions in their facor Only one
player can be taken from each Class A
league by draft, although any number
can be sold IL the owner elects. The
One-man rule prevents few good ball
players from advancing in their pro-
fession but at the same time protects
the man who has his money invested
IA q Class A establishment and saves
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