Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-08-29

some big gun in baseball. He feels,
as president of the organization, he
should have a lot to say and do a
lot of debating. OF course, Harry
Smith, the manager, didn't have q
thing to do in putting the team where
1t is. and Mr.. Ebbets, who has the
say-so in regard to all the Brooklyn
players, never raised his hand to give
Newark q winner. No. as far as we
can learn, Solomon, SO Solomon is
willing to confess, is responsible for
all the success Of the club this
season.
@
But to all the fans In town, and
Mr.. Solomon included, when the sale
of the Newark Club comes to pass I
will know all about it, and the
chances are the story will appear
exclusively in the Evening Star. So
far all the news of any value on the
situation has been given to the Star
readers just as I have learned the
facts. Big men in doing big things
are generally very conservative. They
are not always inclined to talk about
such matters to every Tom, Dick or
Harry. Mr.. Ebbets has invited me
to "call again." and Messrs. Million
and Uppercu say they like Brooklyn
so well that they may take another
/ trip over there at any time.
c.
The position of the magnate and
the position of the player in a base
ball deal is something very Pc
culiar. AS an instance, take the case
of Raleigh Aitchison, the pitcher.
Owned by the Brooklyn Club, Aitch-
ison was recalled, according to the
time set by baseball law, last Tues.
day, Full of confidence after most
successful season, Aitchison demand
ed raise in the price of his services
| greater than the laws of baseball al
| low. AS a result he stands suspend
| ed and both sides are losers. Aitch-
| ison, as long as he remains suspended,
won't draw down any salary, and
the Brooklyn club, by the same tok-
en-, will lose the services of a val
liable player. Both sides may come
| around and close the deal at any mo-
ment. Just now it is strictly up to
Aitchison. Mr.. Ebbets, the principal
owner of the Brooklyn Club, has
made the pitchers salary as large
as he possibly can under the cir
| cumstances. The pitcher, enjoying
his great American prerogative, re-
fuses. in true Jack Dalton style, to
sign the papers. There the case
stands, with Aitchison on the out
side and out money, and with the
Brooklyn Club going along playing
ball and doing without him the best
way it can.
@
| If the entire matter was up to the
! Brooklyn Club there isn't much doubt
| but that the differences could easily
| be settled. But such is not the case.
| Baseball law enters into the situa-
ton. In order to protect all con-
cerned, so tbs said, law has been
adopted which provides that a player
recalled by one club from another
shall receive not more than 25 per
cent. increase N his salary. That's
where the hitch comes In the case
| in point. Aitchison wants more The
Brooklyn Club can't give him any
more without breaking the laws Of
baseball So, as also provided by the
laws of the game, the only thing that
Mr.. Ebbets could do was to suspend
the pitcher. though the Brooklyn
| magnate, 1t is believed, would have
liked very much to satisfy the man.
| G
| The law on the point is very strict
as regards the amou--t of the increase
and the alternative of suspension. It
reads:
Provided further that the term of
| the first contract between a major
| league club and q drafted or pur-
chased player shall be for forty-five
days. and such players salary shall
not be over 25 per cent. in excess of
| that paid him by the minor league
club from which he was secured.
| "Notice-To establish uniformity in
action by clubs when player re-
| leased by a minor -ague club to a
major league club refuses to report
to and contract with the club to
which he is transferred. the commits
| II. Iii.
protect both parties 10 the deal from
responsibility for his salary during
his characterization by promptly sus-
pending him."
According to the law as cited above
the only way out of the matter is for
Aitchison to sign a contract calling
for an increase of % per cent. over
the amount he received from the
Newark Club, which, it is known,
would bring his salary up to some-
| thing more than $425 month. This
amount, Aitchison says. is not
enough, and still the Brooklyn club
can't do any better by him because
of the law on the point.
| c.
Just what will be the outcome of
this case in which Newark fans are
interested, because of the grand work
of Aitchison, is not easy to surmise.
The pitcher, valuable as he is, seems
to be rather bold IN his stand. If the
question Of salary was a case OF lack
| IF hianesa on the mart of the RrooIxlvf
Club, the player would be in the right
and his stand would be applauded.
but under the circumstances Mr.. Eb-