El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-01-06
Players To Get All They Ask
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Fraternity Has Big Club Handy
By JOHN E. wRAY.

Il VERY dog has his day; even the
II major league baseball player, that
- poor human chattel who has to
struggle along for six months on a
pittance of from $4,000 to $4,000 per
annum, now sees his way clear to buy
ing his wife a set of Russian sable to
shield her from the winter wind while
riding in her modest $4,000 car.
The unlocking Of the players chains
is being Indirectly done by the Federal
league, the advent of which to the big
league rumpus promises not only to
raise prices and help the baseball star
boost his pay check, but work many
needed reforms in behalf Of the poor
slave"
The Players Big Stick.
Here's the way it works: David
Fultz, who created the Baseball Play
ers' fraternity-and a comfortable
annual salary for himself-leads
committee of national game stars to
the National commission chambers, to
present a bill Of rights. Those cham
piOn banqueters of the world. OWgOOst
Hermann, Ban Johnson and John K.
Tener, viii be asked to grant II con-
cessiOns to the players, all more or
less reasonable.
And will they get them? They viii,
or a big majority of them. For thus
far the big league players, in the
themselves to any Federal league con-
tracts until the commission has acted
on their bill Of rights.
If Owgoost and company act ugly
about the matter they jump; if nice,
they remain loyal.
The Gazipe in the Ointment.
Then again: Dave FUltz, at present
IS very kind toward national agree
ment clubs. He guarantees that his
men will preserve good faith in the
matter of the reserve clause-always
providing the commission sees its way
to grant their IT requests. If the
commish is blind to the matter, the
reserve rule will not be observed and
the bars viii be down to the Federal
league wolf
It's ND to FuItz.
So that at present the salvation OF
organized baseball seems to rest on
the good will of Dave Fultz and the
baseball fraternity.
If the big leagues can satisfy the
players and get them to observe the
reserve rule, the pickings Of the Fed
eral league will be very poor, for prac-
tically all the big leaguers are mem
bers of the Players union.
Easy for the athletics.
Incidentally the Athletics are about
the one best bet in baseball as win
ners Of the worlds series of 1914.
Practically every man on Connie
MackS team VIII remain loyal, so
closely has the "human filament"
welded to himself the members of his
club. This means that the easy VIC
tors of the 1913 series viii have only
weakened teams to oppose them next
year. if the Feds can make expected
inroads. At any rate, Mack's club is
certain to remain intact where the
others are dubious.
Why Shouldn't He Signs
MOrdecai Brown declares he knows
positively he viii get his Federal
league salary for the next three years.
That's about three years more certain
ty than he would have enjoyed in the
big leagues, so he should lose no
sleep!
Those Fed Promises Fade.
The fact that the Federal league
contracts are practically Identical with
those Of the major leagues in regard
to the reserve and 10 day clauses will
be interesting news to the Baseball
Players fraternity, which was inclined
to view the new organization with IA
vor because Of its declared policy Of
doing things to emancipate the poor
baseball slave. If the Federal league
contract revealed by r. L. Hedges Of
the Browns, is a sample of all of them
and there is reason to believe it is
the player will advantage nothing
by joining the new circucit, unless
it be in salary
As far as concerns his ability to sell