Arizona republican., 1914-02-20
BASEBALL WAR | |S REVOLVING AROUND TINKER

I IONc hcSCINO CIduSc IS
 "Flivver' or Return to National League
 When Joe Tinker affixed his John Hancock" to a federal league con 1 tract he fired the first effective shot 1 in what promises to be the hottest | baseball war since the memorable ] conflict between the American and ] National leagues a dozen years ago. Joe didn't start the muss between the Federals and organized baseball. But he is largely responsible for the fact that the war has reached it's rresent proportions. He was the first big league star to jump. If Tinker
 hadn't jumped it is pretty safe bet
 that the majority of the big
 leaguers now on the Federal roster would never have taken the hurdles.
 At the National league meeting in New York last December the Gin
 cinnati club sold Tinker, it's former manager, to Brooklyn for the sum
 of $25,000. According to the agree ment as reported at the time, Tinker was to receive $10,000 of the pur-
 chase money if he agreed to play in
 Brooklyn. Right here is where Sir
 Joseph got busy. He demanded the $10,000 bonus and a salary of S7500
 a year to play with the Superbas. Charles H. Ebbets, president of the Brooklyn club, claims he sent Tinker a contract for three years
 calling for $7500 a year. But
 hitch occurred when the directors of
 the Cincinnati club refused to sep
 arate themselves from any part of the 25,000 bucks.
 Tinker thereupon did a speedy
 flop that landed him in the Federal
 league yard. He has been appointed
 manager of the Chicago Federals
 and is to receive s36,OOO for three
 years work, so 'tis said.
 Joe's contract with Cincinnati for
 1913 contained the customary clause
 which reserved him for that club in
 1914. Brooklyn purchased the con-
 tract and if any legal action is
 taken by the Brooklyn club it will
 he up to Tinker and the Federals to
 show his honor that the reserve
 clause in players contract is a flivver. The organized ranks. in
 cluding all the major and minor
 leagues. contend that the reserve clause is binding. They rely largely
 on the decision handed down by the
 Pennsylvania courts several years ago in the famous Laioie case. ; In the Lajoie case the courts held that the reserve clause was a part
 of the regular contract. Larry La :
 joie. long known as the star second sacker of the Cleveland Maps, was tionals when the American league was organized. He jumped to the Philadelphia Americans. but the 1 court decision already referred to
 restrained him from appearing witt
 that club and he was released tc I. Cleveland
 Joe Tinker. who promises to b, more in the limelight than any oth- CT player during the season about t, t begin, has long been conspicuou. F figure on the diamond He is a ma. r tive of Kansas and is close to hi: thirtyfifth year.
 r At the age of IT Joe broke into tn, 7 national game with a Kansas Cit, s semi professional team. He showed 0 he could do almost anything excep play ball, so the manager of tn, f team was glad to sell him to V rival club for s1.5O One hundre, t and fifty cents for a player who il : later years was to he sold fo Q s25. .OOO
 In 1898. after his rather discourag | ing experience in Kansas City. link CT caught on with a club in Coffey Q vile. Kansas. where he earned 8 i a month and his board The nex ,. season he was sold to Great Falls = Mont, which club in turn dispose : of him to the Helena club.
 e Tinker was with Denver in 1906 h but it was not until year late : that he showed real class on tn e ball field In 1901 he played thir
 base for the Portland team in tn - Northwest league. His excellen : work for Portland attracted the at n tention of the late Frank Selle,
 who at the time was manager 0 # the Chicago Cubs Sellee brough r Joe to Chicago and started him O ?. his career as big league short = stop.
 e Joe remained with the Cubs unt
 last season when he was signed a manager of the Cincinnati club No, IS he is going to pilot an outfit in op h position to his old team in Chi = cago. In order that there may b d no doubt as to the sincerity of hi # intentions he declares that he wi e stick to the Federal league. "sink c l. swim,'' as the case may be.