Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-11-19
Judgments


- leagues and the American assoc
citation with rights to draft as
do the majors upon the other minor
leagues. That makes five organizations
to prey upon these minors. 1t is wrong,
It is an imposition and will hurt base
ball In the end. The other minor leagues
had enough to contend with in the draft
rule as 1t was, let alone making its lot
harder. But this is the outcome Of the
American associations failure to get into
major league class on the one hand and
the Pacific Coasts inability to push
through its demand for an annullment of
the draft rule. The Pacific Coast fellows
ere thus placed in Il very bad light. They
eOndone in themselves what they con-
Asmned In others. That is, when the
aTaft operated so heavily against them
and they could not use it against any
others, they declared it to be wrong from
principle, hut now that they can exercise
" upon other leagues it becomes right.
There is no principle I'm it for them. It
u absurd, to begin with, for the kind of
ball that has been played on the Pacific
coast to be dignified with higher cIassi-
fication, anyway. The Westernl eague and
other minors might well have agreed to
this separate classification, though, had
they not been made to suffer additional
injustice and hardship by it. Most fair
minded men, no matter whether they live
on a major or minor league circuit, will
admit that the draft rule works injury to
many minor league team, IL not to ALL
and should either be abolished and, let
the players be purchased outright or be
materially revised. Instead, however
here Is move to expand 1t and thus to
increase the onus It lays upon-the minors.
What CONCESSIONS could have been made
to those minors that were. duped into
voting for tho change?
The limitation to be placed on the sal
aries of minor teams will be accepted,
doubtless, as a give-and-take proposition.
There is reason. Of course, in the principle
of salary limitation, but sense Of fair
ness, both to the team owner and the
player, should govern whatever action is
taken. Neither the playsr or the EN-
ployer, should be too severely restricted
or hampered. That would impose injus-
tice upon, not only them, but the patrons
OF the game as well, and they have to be
reckoued with at all times. The financial
year fully justify that point. In the
Western and other leagues patrons got
the notion that they were in places being
brushed aside with most any old thing
and they resented the treatment by with
holding their patronage, which sent many
a team into the discard financially, and
pinched many another. Let the solons OF
base ball. like other solons, feel the power
of public favor or disfavor and they may
become more responsive to the rights of
the public, It will never quite do for
them to grow arrogant amid seasons, for
their arrogance will linger In the minds of
the fans until spring.
The National commissions decision and
order to have the worlds championship
series begin next year on October means
that the National league must shorten
its season. There has been ample proof
of the wisdom of this move Take the
Giants-Athletic series this year 49, the
weather was so unfavorable that the
games had to be suspended for nearly a
week. Players take chances and the
game loses edge under such climatic con-
ditions. II is a good thing the commits
sion has acted. But Il is a better thing
for the commission to have planted itself
against ticket scalping, as it seems to
have done. This is far more important
than the other. The commission could
not afford longer to temporize about this.
Brother Dave, owing to a partial corn
crop shortage, has had difficulty I'm get
ting fun supply of cobs for the winter,
but he announces that he has enough on
hand to last until Christmas, and by that
time Gonding expects a carload in from
Iowa, where he has. cultivated the
acquaintance Of certain farmers. Pa Bill
had enough agriculturlsts on his pay roll
during the last year. Cal Valentine thinks
TO land Brother Dave all the cobs he will
need for the next six years.
The report that Hal Chase is to be
supplanted as manager OF the Highland,
ers will occasion no surprise, we imagine
All the booming and boosting Hal go
did not make him a manager, though ht
is gilt-edged star on first base. Harry
Wolyerton. the old veteran third base
man, now managing Oakland in the Pa
Cific Coast league, IS said to be slated
for HAS job.
Both Cubs and Cardinals are said TO b,
angling for Nap Rucker, the Brooklyn
Houthpaw who did more than any othel
five men 10 rob the Cubs OF the pennan
last season, II is almost inconceivabl,
that Ebbetts would think OF letting ml
star pitcher go.
Charley Murphy has no objection TO tn,
reelection OF President Lynch Of the Ma
tional league, having learned, doubtless
that his objections carry little or NJ
weight.
Pa Rourke will find US ready for thos