The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-09-09
DERRILL PRATT IS DIRECTOR IN THE
 BALL FRATERNITY
Ball Players Intend To
 Control Managerial End
ACTING PRESIDENT FOULTZ SAYS PLAYERS ONLY WANT CE-FRATERNITY HAS 2S6 MEMBERS-PRAT ON DI- RECTORATE

New York, September s.--A new and Important factor has been injected into professional baseball with the incorpor- ation of the baseball players fraternity. No longer will the league presidents, mag mates and national commission control the professional end of the national games From this time forth the play CTS propose to have hand in the man. Agerial end of baseball. Instead of being chattel, absolutely at the mercy of the magnates the diamond workers will here after stand upon their rights as Ameri- can citizens entitled to all the rights and considerations due and accorded to em- ployes in all other lines of business.
 David L. Foultz, the former Brown uni- versity baseball and football player and later member of the New York American league team, is slated for the presidency of the fraternity, according to informa- ton obtained last night
 The directors who are now serving on the board with Foultz and some of whom will later fill executive offices are as fol- lows: Robert Byrne, Pittsburg; William F. Carrigan, Boston Americans, Tyrus Cobb, Detroit; Samuel l.. Crawford, De- troit; J. E. Daubert, Brooklyn; Michael J. Doolan, Philadelphia Nationals; John J. Evers, Chicago Nationals; Arthnr aa Griggs, Cleveland; John F. Henry, Wash- ington; Miller J. Huggins, St. Louis Ma tionals; Christopher Mathewson, New York Nationals; Derrill Pratt, St. Lotus Americans; Edward Sweeney, New York Americans William J Sweeney, Boston Nationals: G. Harris White, and Richard J. Egan
 F0ultz Gives Purposes
 Acting President Foultz of the fedora ton, when asked regarding the aims and objects of the Baseball Players fraterni- ty, was loath to talk about the future plans of the organization. He said:
 ..The general purposes of the fraternity are as follows:
 To have every reasonable obligation or the players contract lived up to by both contracting parties; to secure adequate protection from abusive spectators; to discountenance and abolish as far as pos sible rowdyism on the field; to be Of financial assistance to deserving ball play CTS; to advise the player concerning any real or fancied grievance. and, in the event the former exists, to prepare his case for him.
 Tn order that the situation may be understood it Is necessary to keep in mind the fact that when a player signs con tract he enters into an agreement which binds the owner for only 10 days, while the player is bound for the remainder ot his professional career
 Want Players to Say
 We are told that ample redress for grievances can be had from the national commission. We do not wish in the slight est way to be understood to reflect upon the probity of this body as now composed. The national commission is composed of three members-the presidents of the two major leagues and third person selected by them; this person at the present time is a club owner. The player who has grievance. therefore, goes before bo1y composed of men not only elected by but paid by and chosen from the very faction with which he has his controversy
 Tt is argued that the player is well paid. That he is well paid is no reason he should not organize. The star is well paid, we are frank to admit: tne average player not so we'll and some players very poorly. There are men playing in the big leagues for 1900 per season.
 Players We'll Paid
 "A pitcher who led his league few years ago and who is considered to have won the pennant for his team was under 9 S1200 contract. No artisan is well paid who does not get fair proportion of the money he helps to make.
 "The ball player of today Is of far high CT mental and moral caibre than the one of 10 years ago. Baseball for him has grown to be legitimate business. To say that he, a class. is unreliable. ir- responsible and incapable of conducting his affairs is exceedingly unfair and IS simply survival of that fast vanishing spirit of paternalism with which the player has for many years been sur rounded.
 ''The fraternity has a membership of 2s6. Almost every player in the two big leagues Is enrolled. The stars, while hay ing nothing to gain personally, have un- selflshly gone out in front to aid their less fortunate brothers The players have never been before so thoroughly organized nor so thoroughly in accord. For man to go back now would be to eXhibit a color distasteful to every athlete. There will be no deserters. We have every con- ffdence that the players will stick.