The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-09-12


be one of the teams contestiug next
month for the highest honor In base
ball. The fraternity has nearly three
hundred members now, and feel con-
fident that when our first meeting is
held every player of the National and
American league clubs will be en-
rolled and will attend the meeting or
be represented by proxy
Our constitution as drafted. states
the object OF the fraternity is to fur
tner the interests of baseball. That
covers the case. There may be anarch-
lists among the ball players, but IL
there are any | don't know them. | am
sure every player realizes that or
ganized baseball has put the game
On the Arm bttsz u it -e11uys tudaY-Af
the same time there are things that
happen now and then that do not
appear exactly fair For instance, the
ball players are unanimous in the
belief that a player should have a
chance to defend himself when
charges are made against him and not
be punished without a hearing.
we think the club owners should
interest themselves on this point, The
arbitrary act of an umpire in causing
through his report to the president of
the league is often of serious damage
to the team the suspended man be-
longs to. All the players | have
spoken to about this matter agree that
ii is unfair and un-American to con-
denim a player without a. hearing.
And furthermore. I know the sCppor
tiers of the game agree with this senti-
ment.
Il don't think anybody will dispute
the statement that the club owners
are thoroughly organized even - they
do squabble among themselves now
and then. 1t all comes out in the
wash when, important matters are be-
ing considered That being tho case.
why shouldn't the players be firmly
organized as well as the magnates? /
know that the players are satisfied.
that, as a rule, the club owners want
to do the right thing by the players.
But there have been instances where
the opposite has been the case.
We think it will be well when any
serious difference does arise between
the club and the player that the fra
ternity can take the matter up as a
body and prepare and present the
players side OF the case to the SUI
preme court of baseball. Every fair
minded man will agree to the. theory
that both parties to a contract should
| be compelled to live up to its obliga-
tons. and no fair minded man will
ask for anything else.
las for the fraternity asking the
powers of organized baseball for a
representation on the National com
mission. that has been spoken of. /
personally think it would be a good
| thing. No doubt the question will be
brought before the meeting to be held
next MONTH
Told in New York.
On the twelfth OF August the Giants
/ started West with only sixgame
| lead. Since that date they have play
/ ed uneven ball. with only faint
shade better than an even break. But
up to the fashionable hour of tall
noon Thursday the cubs had bee n I'M
| able to white away any more Of the
precious edge. Against clubs they
would have beaten easily four weeks
| ago, they have crumpled up and fallen
back. They could make no Roadway
over Boston. Brooklyn or st. Louis.
They lost ground to Pittsburg. The
| siX-game advantage was still extant TO
Thursday.
The sum and substance of the sit
uation Is that neither Giants nor Cubs
are playing championship ball. but
that the Giants can afford TO pike
along stolidly as long as the Cubs are
unable to close in. II al depends upon
which club obtains Its second wind.
and If the Giants have made any sort
of Roadway at the close of this Phil
adefphia series only as outside chance
will ever lug them back from the top.
Unless something happens between
Giants and Cubs soon, 99,S76 critics