The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-10-18
CLASS IA LEAGUES MAN
SUSPEND OPERATION
This Suggestion Has Beer Made in Order to Curb the "a
contentment From the Expanding Powers of the
Baseball Players Fraternity.

; New York, Oct. 1.-THE word t.
been passed by the powers OF or8o
ICED baseball that the Baseball r14
ers' Fraternity must be crushed, IT,
crushed at once. Twice the 0olG4
have met the union more than h41
way, and in so doing simply seUJ4
up additional trouble for the prOm4e
ers of the sport. President DAVID H2*
E'ultz and his board of strategy. a&M3
meeting In this city Thursday drM&E45
a set of resolutions for additional CoG1
tract reforms which will be pres0n4o1s
to the national commission and tn4#
national association, the governt0Is
heads OF major and minor leagueos -
spectively.
F'ultz and his associates have gfVoUfs
no inkling of the character OF sAhDa5
most recent assumed grievances BNxa
that is neither here nor there. IhNS
national association and national Co.'S
mission are both prepared toatuf1
down fat Fultz and his organizAtteul
To Suspend Operations
To curb the growing discomfort -
sulting from the expanding powerq4 0
the Baseball Players Fraternity. It 1M4
been proposed to suspend operA41oMM
next season in every protected loa91lz
except the American and National, sgxS
other words. II a suggestion which NM
fastered in the council room Of t1Ms
National Commission meets with xNS
popular approval OF the NationA A4s]
ISOLATION Board, there will DO no N}eJ]
thing as minor league baseball 13
1915. 3
t. Such drastic action has passed Enu1lS1
further than the stage OF loose st4l1s3
The presidents of the Class Az 90
Class leagues have already sounQoM]
| their club owners on the matter aA4s
almost without exception owners ~
big minor league clubs have as1ntA1s
absolute loyalty to any extreme mAeess
ure that may be necessary for thas
ultimate conservation OF the gAmeg
| There Is little doubt that leagues ~
smaller rating will offer serious o.
| lection.
Has Disastrous Year.
| The campaign Of 1914 proved uatlss
sually disastrous financially for the
minor leagues, great and small. IN
! Federal League. which had a rulnoN1e
year itself, created ruinous year 10
! both the International League ana t11MR
American Association. Business COM
! ditions are so dull generally that the
! Glass AA circuits would welcome sth48
experiment of years lay oil. Each
of the clubs averaged q loss OF eak,oe1E
the past season. The presence OF thu
I Federal League forced up salaries On
| beyond the breaking point, beatde4
cutting in upon patronage to DEGREES
! The outlaws have completely dteakS
ranged the territorial worth OF C1Mny3
IA leagues. BY interference with
property rights of the major leaguemsl
| especially in the cases OF the PhilAdel.
pfia, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh N4&
/ tionals. they laid waste financial pros
| poets OF the established circuits. Ana
their presence shut Off from the lenner
/ leagues one OF the chief avenues %
! financial gain. that of profitable 6lo-3
position Of talent to leagues OF hi4hax
! classification.
Organized for Protection.
! The aim OF the Baseball Play9t9
| Fraternity, as originally outlined -
its promoters, was one of mutual pt0&
lection OF contract obligations Of netA
| employers and employed. OrgAnamoA
! baseball charges that the aAsociAAa0M
! has not dealt fairly with the Dsos
moters. They point to the presence
| in the fraternity circles Of players Nno
/ retained their membership after 80
sorting their former major league AM1s
! ployers for the Federaf cause. u
The suspensions Of operations s1gk
one season by the minor leagues M0p5M
prove severe hardship to the 9He
/ rank and file Of professional plaIpt4
who. unfortunately, under extal4M4
! conditions. may be considered eeAe
ally as innocent victims. for ~ ~ k44
smaller minor circuits have nothing II
common with the fraternity cause
| The annual meeting Of the nl14
| leagues will be held next mou4A 81
Omaha At that conference the -
mediate future Of minor lea8ue $780,
ball will be shaped. The Ba1S1aM
! Players Fraternity. which viii 09N1 II
delegation, of representative 20 t81e
sent certain demands upon the ms
tional Association. 10 quite likely t0
influence the immediate future o9tA9
game in general Ess