The Washington times., 1914-04-13
LEAGUE WILL
BE IN ORGANIZED FOLD
BY ANOTHER CAMPAIGN
Present Revolution Baseball May Be Best Thing Ever for
BIoated Magnates Now In contro-Game viii Bene-
fit by Being Dragged Into Federal Courts
By THOMAS KIRBY.


PROVIDENCE. r. l.. April 13.-stu-
dents of baseball politics and those who
have closely followed the general ad-
Ininistration Of the sport, should today
awaken to the fact that the game Is in
the throes Of the most violent reyolu.
ton 1t has experienced since the dark
days OF a dozen years ago, when the
American League appeared on the hori-
zon and practically sundered the or
ganization that at that time had Q
steel-riyeted control Of the whole pas
time,
When Judge Sessions. in the United
States Court in Michigan rendered his
decision In the application of the Fed
eral League for an Injunction against
Bill Kiilifer playing with the Philadel-
phia Nationals. the verdict was virtu-
ally a victory In defeat for the outlaws.
True, the Feds have been deprived Of
the services Of valuable player, stiil.
in his opinion. the jurist dealt organ
lied baseball q staggering wallop By
declaring that the reserve clause was
invalid.
In other words. 1t was the decision Of
the court that the clause that retained
IRON year 70 year tne SeIstces oI q
player who once signed a contract was
unconstitutional.
What the results VIII be time alone
viii tell. There are thousands of play
ers Throughout the country today bound
by a document that expires at the end
delivered in Michigan is to stand. and
there Is every indication that It win.
each of these men will be allowed to
next year sign with whatever club taey
see fit. True, the revised contract has
a changed reserve clause. but the spirit
is Identical and this effect Is calculated
to result the same as did the old one.
In the eyes OF the law the Federals
today have as good and substantial q
claim on the players as the National.
American or any OF the numerous minor
leagues. The men who have long con-
free agents.
In a discussion In these columns early
in February the assertion was made
that, considering the millions invested
In II. baseball had the most undepend-
able foundation Of any great enter
prise in the country. Furthermore, the
opinion was ventured that IL the powers
that be In baseball ever allowed the
Of the player to reach Fed
eraI court just what chaos as II now
threatened would result.
Continued peace In any sport Is Uto-
plan. 1t is a proposition in economics
that an occasional revolution makes for
the Improvement of human institutions,
national governments. political parties,
and all other organiza-
ions must undergo radical changes
every few generations And baseball Ia \
no exception to the almost universal
rule.
For more than a decade aulity exist |
ed among the various leagues that con-
stituted organized baseball, and II was
he dissatisfaction that was ensend-
sred through this long peace that made |
possible the upheavai that is now prom
sed In the most widely cherished Of |
al the American sports.
With a superconfidence that amounted
almost to lunacy, those higher Up ioked |
md tested when talk Of Federal in
When James Gilmore and his financial |
supporters commenced to make their |
I'D for luninaries of the diamond, the |
mile turned to uproarious laughter. The |
dea Of one outside the fold having the |
lnmitigated gall to even talk Of in |
'ading the territory under the protec-
ion Of the organization was too ridicu- |
GUS to merit serious discussion.
Looking at the matter RETROSPECT
lively, 1t Is difficult to conceive hcw
some of the truly intelligent and ad-
brilliant men, who have been
in the upbuilding OF base
ball, were so short-sighted AS to as
sumo such an attitude when the Fed
sral League had its inception. Surely
here must have been some who knew
,f the violation OF the spirit OF the
prohibition against involuntary servi-
ude guaranteed by the Contribution
But, to these the high time for serious
OF the outlaw movement
lever came. While hundreds, thou
iands and millions Of dollars flowed into
he corporations affiliated with organ
zed baseball. the validity of the much
nooted players contract was never es-
ablished Companies were formed,
purchased. sites bought and
,iants constructed without legal assur-
lnces that IL would be possible. in the
general scheme. as IL existed, to hold