Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-11-02

10 take such step, because they did not
believe they could weather the storn, Of
another year, even on minimum salary
oasis. unless. Of course, they were ns-
sisted by organized baseball or m, Tysd-
eral League
The minors feel that organlzod baeeb,It
nld not attempt to protect them from the
raVages OF the Federals, oRainst whom,
sHtg were poWerless beCatse of lack NJ
iunds. Added to that. the minor lcnzne
owners nave made II plain that they are
nn VI Furious state and need assistance to
DeEih their 1913 season This assistance
mas not been forthcoming When si,cb
Ciuos as New Orleans. Southern Assocla-
.on ana san Antonio, CTcND IcaFue
,ithtElo prosperous, are willing to Let
''o'I iIahchlses go, IL Is indeed time that
something be done to protect them.
IL IS understood that there was an
agreement by organized baseball to help
clubs and leagues whose strength began
to wane. In fact, a fund was believed
to have been put aside for this purpose
when 1t was realized what tremendous
factor the Federal League was in de-
stroyinE tho success Of the minors These
smaller leagues have always had hard
struggle to live, hence when the Federals
came in grabbed their best players and
caused salaries to be raised out of all pro-
portion to the earning capacity OF the
clubs. It was evident that the beginning
IF the end had come.
After analyzing the causes of the minor
leagues grievance against organized
baseball, It is readily seen what their OBJ
feet Is. They intend to Join with the
Federals and march hand In hand with
them because OF the assistance TO be
gotten from the baseball outlaws"
That the Federal moguls were thorough
ly familiar with the plans OF the minors
was shown ut their meeting held only n
short time ago in New York, In the
first place, all OF the much talked OF peace
overtures were neglected entirely. The
only mention Of peace Mt their meetings
was n brief word to tho effect that there
would be none The Federals foresaw that
the minors holding the balance or power
in baseball, could elevate them to the po-
sition now hold by the American and Na-
tional Leagues.
such n revolutionary step would ruin
the majors In the first place their very
foundation would be battered down ana
,hev would find themselves in far worse
condition than the house built on the
snnds Automatically the majors would
bar themselves from the privilege or get
ting new players because the newly
formed organization would. in the eyes OF
the majors. be an "outlaw' one, hence
. they could take lo OlllNi'N'
their existence.
when the American League was formed
in 1901 It was evident from the beginning
that unless the two major organizations
worked together the game would die
natural death. The result was that uieS
got together, the National Commission
was formed and the present basebail
laws were drafted and put into erect
Now 1t Is far more difficult for one or
more leagues to exist independently than
It was IA years ago, as the Federals WIZ
testify. The game has grown to sueh
vast proportions and the attitude OF the
fans who support It is such that they
are always with the winner. This would
mean that the majors would not be sup
ported; they could not pay the high sal
aries they have obligated themselves TO
pay: players would jump, and soon the
whole superstructure of the majors would
fall as the ultimate result OF the &C.
pGrture of its substructure-the minors.