The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-09-16
SPEEDY ROBERT MESSENGER is
DRAFTED BY ST. LOUIS BROWNS
Stock, Bisland, Beck, Kraft,
GiddO and SnedecOr Get
Bids Higher


fielder for Birmingham, has been
drafted by the st. Louis Americans.
A lucky cast of fate allowed the
Browns to have choice of the Bir-
'mingham team and the lowly club
selected Messenger.
ST. Louis gained the star talent of
the Southern. Although several other
clubs desired to draft Cracker
player, the st. Louis club again grew
lucky and gained the choice. Bisland,
the brilliant shortstop, was selected
The Browns were also given the right
to draft from the Montgomery club
and it is probable that First Baseman
Snedecor will be elevated to the
majors.
Catcher Giddo, recently recalled by
Chattanooga from Troy, was grabbed
by the Cleveland Maps. Milton Stock,
shortstop of the Mobile club, was an
messed by the Boston National league
club, while Philadelphia claimed
Pitcher George Beck from the Nash
vile club. Clarence Kraft recently
sold by New Orleans to Nashville, was
selected by the Brooklyn Nationals.
Memphis failed to receive a bid for
any of the Turtle players.
10S Receive Elevations
One hundred and eight minor
league players were elevated to
the major leagues via the draft
route here today when the American
league obtained 81 players by draft. while
the National league annexed Al minors at
w we do tfa
national baseball commission.
The st. Louis American league club
was by far the luckiest in the draw, OBJ
tanning 30 players. more than one-fourth
OF the total number obtained by all ma
jor league teaps; the Cincinnati team
was second with H. the Chicago Ameri-
cans came next with 10; Detroit with
nine; the Philadelphia Americans and the
Boston Nationals had eight each, Brook
lyn obtained seven Boston Americans
five; New York Nationals five; Chicago
Nationals four; Philadelphia Nationals
three; Cleveland Americans and Pitts
burg and New York Americans got two
each, while Washington and the st. Louis
Nationals obtained one each.
The ST. Louis Americans obtained play
ers from Atlanta, Birmingham and Mont
gomery and Cleveland likewise one from
Chattanooga In the Southern.
Boston Nationals obtained one player
from Mobile, Brooklyn one from New
Orleans and Philadelphia one from Nash
vile, Tenn
The drawing of the major league teams
for class AA, and class A players resulted
as follows:
St Louis Americans eight, Detroit Amer
leans and Boston Nationals six each:
Brooklyn and Chicago Nationals three
each; Chicago American and Cleveland
American two each; New York Americans
Va eli in OFT iIoJ Jair ,oir .;
one each.
Owing to a new national comnission
rule stipulating that the major club draw
ing for players from minor league club
must be selected by lot before the player
is. the names of the players to be obtained
by the major league from the class A
and AAswere not announced Immediately
and will not be officially announced un-
til tomorrow. However, quite number
of the players to be chosen were given
out unofficially tonight among them be-
ing:
By Chicago Americans, Roth of Balti-
more; by Cleveland, Giddo from Chat
tanooga by Brooklyn Nationals, Kraft
of New Orleans; by st. Louis Americans,
Messenger of Birmingham; Bisland of At
lanta; by Boston Nationals. Stock of Mo-
bile; by Philadelphia Nationals. Beck of
Nashville; Herbert of Toronto, was trans
ferred to Brooklyn by the Chicago Ma
tionals for label of Winnipeg and Keat-
ing of Columbus. Ga; by Cincinnati, ME-
hoff of Louisville: by Boston Nationals,
Krutcher of st. Joe.
Ebbetts to Aid Lowly
The remainder of the teams who OBJ
tained players from Glass A and AA
were not ready to give out their Sc
lections. while Detroit had not COM
pleted it's list.
Little business other than that of the
drafting was taken up by the national
commission during the day but a reso-
luton by President Ebbets of Brook
lyn club of the National league was
submitted. 1t aims to revise the draft
ing rules so as to give these teams
which are lowest in the league races
the chance to obtain first call on the
players that are drafted and briefly is
as follows:
"There shall be 16 draft selections
mum bered from / to 16, which shall
be awarded to the 16 major league
clubs.
"The National league and the Amer
lean league shall determine by lot
which league shall have the odd num-
bered selections and which the even
numbered.
1.-THE league securing the odd num-
bers shall award selection one to their
eighth place club number three to the
seventh place club and so on up to
the leading club, which shall receive
selection 3.
Help Lower Clubs
'The league securing the even num-
bers shall award selection two to their
eighth place club. number four to the
seventh place club, and so on up to
the leading club of their league, which
shall receive selection 16.
"The 16 major league clubs repre-
sented by officials of their respective
clubs at the drafting meeting shall, as
their members are announced in numer-
ical order, have the right to make a
free selection of one player from any
minor league club subject to draft; the
restrictions relatively to the number
of players subject to selection from a
national association club to remain in
force precisely as now provided for in
the national agreement.
'By this system 1T is believed the fol-
lowing reforms will be accomplished:
Il. The great element of uncertainty
as to the players to beysecured will be
removed.
"2. The elimination of filing lists of
80 or 40 players.
Z "3. Minimize the possibility of club
being unlucky' in : securing several
players not up to the standard.
"A. The elimination of the technical
evasion of the drafting laws as now in
force.
IS. The great good that will come to
clubs in the second division having
free selection before clubs of the first
division to secure the player or play