Omaha daily bee., 1914-05-17
FEDS MIGHT RUIN MINORS
At Least Such is Prediction Of Major
League Magnste.
WOULD NOT COMPROMISE
club owner Declares that No over
lures Need Ne Made 60 the out
laws by the COuntry's
Big Mines.

NEW YORK. May 16.-That the Fed
eral league might ruin the Glass AA
minor leagues was admitted yesterday by
a club owner who Ia heavily interested
both in a big minor and In one OF the
major circuits Both the National and
American leagues. he claims, are too well
fortified for some years to come to be
brought to their knees before the indie
pendents can win at q cutthroat game. -.
Organized base ball" said he, will
make a great mistake u Il does not stand
together in this fight and settle the is-v
sue at once for all time. A compromise
would only spell trouble each succeeding
year. And in justice to the Class AA5
leagues there should be no compromise
even II Il were possible, which l will
show Il Is not
How are the major leagues protected?
Well they have all the men that amount
20 anything tied up for from three TO
five years. These players are under con
tracts, from which the alleged inequitable
ten-day clauses have been eliminated
Some OF the major loague men have
signed for one year only, but in eacnu
case the club holds an option for renewal
for fixed and definite figure. The
Chief johnson case will establish, sure
az day. the validity Of our new form OF
major league contract And II viii stop
indefinitely any molestation Of National
or American league players.
Not So Fortunate.
"Now, as to class "A leagues, they
are not so fortunate In contract rights"
Their forms of documents are neither 50
specific nor up-to-dete as the majors
II Is for this reason. perhaps, that the
national commission has not tolerated
any court proceedings against the minor
league contract jumpers The Federal
league cannot hurt the old nd estab-
llshed National and American leagues,
because they have not the same high
class performers. But they can injure
the large minors in the towns where be
represented. Here the Federals, as y
new and advertised institution of major
league caliber, are bound to attract at
tentlon for a time, especially by the use
OF lots Of passes.
II believe from the very start the Fed
eral league promoters have been playing
solely for compromise with organized
base ball, This, to my way of thinking,
is impracticabe for many reasons. Rec
ogniton would only pave the way to
further outlawry In the future. There
are not enough good players now for two
n ajors, and certainly not enough for
three Territory is not rich enough for
three major leagues, while peace at tha
price OF class AA rating would be ranh,
injustice to the American association ans
International league. ~
wants Continuous Base Ball
1.-THE cry OF the Federal league has
beeen that public interest demands con-
tinuous base ball That may all be very
true. Certainly the two big leagues have
profited through this avenue. But II the
Federals were taken into the fold they
could not be scheduled in any way 70 as.
sure continuous ball or TO prevent whoier
sale conflicts with organized leagues.
Five schedules would then have TO be
considered. Geographical conditions
would prevent any reasonable sort OF So
luton Pittsburgh. in the National
league, is part OF the western wing. II
In in the east In the Federal league. Kan
sas City is western in both the Federal
and American association. Baltimore IL
in the south OF the Barrow organization
ana Buffalo in the north, while both are
in the east OF the Federal territory Now
how in the world could five leagues oper-
ate such territory-not TO mention three
clubs in each OF St Louis and Chicago
without as many conflicts as prevail this
season.
minor league cities absolutely cannot
survive conflicts. The Federal league
may be prepared to spend a lot OF money
to gain it's ends. II has already gambled
heavily and may be able to go further
than it's rival leagues purses will allow.
For that reason would advocate a gen.
eral union OF the organized cause" q