Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-10-11
BASEBALL TRUST
Is WORST Of ALL,
SAYS DAVIDSON

4 fectlV satisfactory until they
- began TO get into operation.
and then the little technicalities be-
can to show up. In the main these
niles are satisfactory to class "A
,,hs hut there is one flaw in them
,,st lends an advantage TO the ma
ions that is hardly fair to the mi
rors concerned. The drafting sea-
-,, extends over a period of five
5s,s and disappointments can be
,,rned into happiness by what is
L,oUn AS supplementary" drafts
MP drafts that are filed after the
6rst deal. Like poker, you can dis
card and call for more to help your
hsrd This would be all right if it
worked equally. But several class
"A drafts were disallowed this year
because major league clubs were
nernitted to cancel some drafts
made and take a new pick. Yer
NON and Los Angeles put in drafts
for players from St. Joe. but all
we're dfsaIlowed because the majors
had filed supplementary drafts,
or taken two picks.
A MENDMENT to the drafting
"A rules should be made so that the
frs deal should be the limit. As
the rules now work, the majors
may scramble for the first pickings,
and then if they fail they can
cancel their original drafts and go
hack after the class of the rem
nants. BY the time they get through
picking the minor league bone
there is nothing left for the class
IA clubs Supplementary drafts
should be canned because they de-
feat the real reform asked by the
minors. in that drafting should be
allowed only for the purpose Of
strengthening, not for brokerage
purposes.
Under the present rules. class
- A clubs are classed as minors
when it CONS to drafting, as the
RATS of the majors count against
the class AA clubs. For instance
II a major league club takes class
A player d class AA club can not
draft a player from the same club.
In other words, a class A club can
lose only one player and there are
the majors and the class AA clubs
TO pick from the class A clubs. If
the majors beat the class IA clubs
10 class A player, the class A club
is exempt from drafts from d class
"A club. In other words. the class
IA clubs have really no more draft
ing privilege than they had before
the new agreement was signed. eX-
cept in the matter of drafting
prices.
DRAFTING is farce, anyway
l. 1t should not be permitted at
all Instead of an agreement that
permits a raid by leagues of d
higher elias sification upon an infe-
rior league, taa right Of private con-
tract only should bn recognized
Let every club make its own con-
tracts and buy and sell and trade
at will. as long as no violation of
private contracts occurs. This VIII
be the stand that the minors will
take when the present national
agreement comes up for renewal,
Under the present rules the right Of
private contract is prohibited, and
time limits are prescribed in which
minor league clubs may deal with
one another, all in the interest of
the majors.
y LAYERS have certain inaIien-
able rights, guaranteed by the
constitution of the United States,
and The right of private contract is
one Of these guaranteed rights.
lner clubs also should have equal
s. 'isnlS Let the minors develop their
Phenoms and sell them, but cut out
'ne drafting business as a matter
OF aeIi-defense for the player and
me developing club. Many a mi
"'i leaguer is drafted who gets no
y"ance to show his class or to
0's" major league salary. Yet his
''oo Is weakened in his loss and
some other minor league club is the
s'n'' without right and without
'''07 received being given.
M 0NOPOLIES and trusts are
sometimes permitted to flourish
0'oef laws that are just about the
,'''e as the rules that prevail in
"s matter of drafting and protec-
no" under the national agreement
Tween the majors and minor
'5u0 baseball clubs. Private
's'eements of this nature would not
.''eIated if they applied to any
'll9r line of business. Deriving
" INDIVIDUAL of an asset without
"'p'E recompense and without his
'S'hL both of which are legal
under the national agreement
M force, is strictly prohibited
O. ''s constitution of the United
7'eS' put unfortunately it has not
sgy N attempted to apply it to base
ana the baseball trust
B ASEBALL of the organized tvpe
trust Of greater and meaner
. p. man the United Steel trust or
,--. ''"eI business organization