The Detroit times., 1910-01-10
||W0CON7RACTsI IN
Bis ILEAGUES
EDR 1910
Players Signing Up Before Arrival
Of 12-Month Documents Must
Afix Names To a Second
n Document.
In the Meantime They Agree, How
ever, To Accept All Rulings of
National Commission on Case.

Renewed light is being cast this
4 winter on the relations between cap
ital and labor In the baseball arena.
capital being represented by the mag
nateSs OF the game, exemplified always
Z In the cver-handy National Commits
\ sion. whifc labor Is. OF course. played ny
the perspiring athletes whom the pub
+ lie annually pays to see cavortng
\ about the diamond, playing baseball
for hire.
At the recent meeting of the mag
mates It seems TO have been agreed
that twelve-month contracts shall be
the rule IN the future, between clubs
and players. This is generally taken
10 mean that the laboring athletes
shall receive that for which they give
the perspiration of keen endeavor,
twice q month each month OF the year,
instead OF getting IL In larger doses
during the months when the goods are
I'm process OF delivery. The advan-
tagee OF the plan are obviously the
abolition OF transforming and its at
tendant evils, chief OF which Is the
\ possibility OF injury which will impair
the value OF the man to his club dur
\ Ing the part OF the year when he Is
toiling Tor his employer. not himself.
II has consequently been found
necessary to set the printeries going
and 90 grind out an entirely new form
or amended contract. Copies OF that
contract have not yet been received at
4 the ofices of the baseball clubs. But
the signing OF players continues mer-
Irily In most quarters. Particularly In
- -. nc n - ~
all OF the team that won the American
league championship Is now under con-
tract.
The new contracts contain neces-
sarily nothing about the 12-month
clause and, at first blush. 1t would ap-
pear that players signing them viii
retain q portion OF the year to their
OWE uses. Such is not. however. nec-
essariiy the case.
The contracts that are now being
passed around for signature contain
y little Joker. not present in prior
Monuments. In IL the player agrees
2 10 accept in his relations with the
club. all the rulings OF the National
Commission.
Innocent as this little clause may aD-
near on its face. IL Is pretty certain
that this clause will bind the player
10 accept a ruling OF the commission
which viii declare valid for the IL
months all contracts made on other
STATIONERY than that which expressly
prOvides for sucA contingency.
What will happen TO those players
Who sign before the new contracts
come roundy" The question was asked
of the urbane Frank J. Navin. presi-
dent and contract expert of the Detroit
club.
"Oh! suppose those players will
merely sign the new contracts when
we get EN-" was the reply.
The attitude Of the players on the
subject is well illustrated by the
nsf,lte ID. Jones, of the Detroit club.
who predicts that. I'm another year the
players will put in their winter.
eh0gelling the snow OF the walks abut-
ting on the property owned by the
maSnates. and performing other SINH
larly menial tasks.
Jee Horner In going tn try 90 hIch
away Martin Sheridan's all-round
channpionship during the summer, and
Keene Fitzpatrick has consented 20
train him for the task.