Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1913-08-15

III q 1NlloC DdoCOalA ID a law dAAO
itself. 1t is the magnates who
make the laws that govern the
game, and when disputes arise it is
the natural commission or the gen.
ial autocrats who act as preside hts
of the several leagues who settle
most of the cases. When men
swap horses and one of them feels
that he has been cheated he is like
ly to take his complaint into the
courts. When Frank Chance
swaps Hal Chase to Callahan for
Zeider and Borton and feels that
he has been cheated, he takes his
complaint to the head of the league.
As it seems thar the American
League heads are to take no action
in the matter, Chance might bring
suit; but there is little probability
that he will do so. Managers who
have traded players have taken
the matter into the courts and
have discovered the great prinCi-
pal of sales 'caveat cmptor' which
is usually translated as "let the
buyer take care" surely wise in
junction.
But there are not few cases in
volving baseball that find their
way into the courts and judges
nave expressed some interesting
opinions and made some ingenious
and learned explanations of the
national game. Most of the cases
involving baseball are either diff
culties over the players contract
cor questions of Sunday baseball.
Before the law, if a club gives
a player a contract for a definite
time at a definite salary it mus
fulfill the conditions of that con
tract. All that is required of tn,
player is the ordinary knowledg,
! and skill common to members o
his profession. So it is that W.
see players who have been dis
charged by the clubs bringing lie
gal actions to enforce their rights
as Hoffman is suing the Chicag
Cubs because of his discharge be
2 fore the expiration of his contract
The reserve clause in all profes
sional baseball contracts, whic
gives to fine club magnate the eH
elusive right to players services
| even after the expiration of tn
term of a contract and thus pre-
vents player from securing
position with any other club ha
involved many legal disputes. No,
d that baseball is thoroughly organ
= lied under the national agreemer
" this rule is strictly enforced by til
. clubs and the magnates insist thu
= it is essential to organized baseba
y. 1t was because of this reserv
clause that Ty Cobb was at til
e mercy of the Detroit Club and Wa
h forced to take his choice betwee
e playing with the Tigers and III
e playing at all. 1t was these Gil
!; cumstanCes that cansed an agit;
ton that reached Congress an
: that threatened to change this 81
uation by force of law, changin
l. baseball law by national law.
= = There have been cases in whic
u the courts have enforced a COZ
l. tract against player. Such w;
IL the famous Lajoie case which aros
lie WIDEN Nap" attempted to brea
his contract with the Philadelph
e. club. 1t brought forth an int
W esting opinion in which the cou
is had the following to say of tt
10 great player:
~ "The court finds from the test
-. mony that the defendant is an e,
- pert baseball player in any pos
a a ton; that he has great reputatio
l. as end baseman; that his plae
a, would be hard to fill with as goo
,e player; that his withdrawal frol
I, the team would weaken it, {
v would the withdrawal of any goo
player, and would probably max
difference in the size of the aud
|. ences attending the game w
e think that in thus stating it, he put
d it very mildly, and that the evit
?: ence would warrant a stronge
= finding as to the ability of the dc
y PENDANT as an expert ball player
), He has been for several years i
u the service of the plaintiff club, an
f has been re-engaged from season
v to reason at constantly increasing
$ salary. He has become familia
). with the actions and methods c
5. the other players in the club, an
Z. his own work is peculiarly merit
: orious as an integral part of tn
team work, which is so essential
, In addition to these features, whic'
render his services of peculiar ait
special value to the plaintiff, an
/ not easily replaced, Lajoie is wei
1t known, and has great reputation