Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1915-01-06
BASEBALL ACTION
AFFECTS MINORS
II Majors Are Declared Trust,
the Little Fellows VIII
Also Be Hit.
so DECLARES NJ. H. SEXTON
sisres Players for Trouble. 5gt Says
Ne Does noe Fear ogsssne
% investigation

n ths suit brought b. the Federal
league ofrcsFs az Chicago yesterday
90 tselAre the major league baseball
orxarixatio1 q trust and 70 compel its
dissolution should win. zfror leagues
would also b. affected b. the decision
In such an event Rock Island might
have doahi@ reason % b. glad that u
n out % the game otherwise - wouif
have nernbers % it, team declared
free agents ana its Investment On the
sport gfrtgafy confscated-
NJ ~ Sexton. president % the
National Association % Win0r
Leagues. today pointed out that the
aEr~ersnt under which the miEor
leagues arr WORKING q modelled close
~ after that OF the majors and that /
any raIinE which would adversely AZ |
feet the one might b applied 60 TIE |
other. However. be dos not believe I
thar baseball as nov orEanizsd caE /
b shown 20 be a trust.
Present. Disruption IN baseball IN 1
my fudEruent.- said Mr.. sexton. Is /
largely the fauit % the players them
selves and they will b. the chief suf-
f.reru n this suit should succeed.
Though the-T would AL Be freed from
their contracts they would also Rave
their Income cut on for an irdeiuits
period. because it would take tiu'e
20 build up another orrauiration-
While shis was being done they would
have % shift for themselves and after
piayfuE vas resumed they could never
hope 90 again receive such pri1cr'r
salaries as they have been rstfIre 'u
the past
n DO not believe that organized
baseball is a trust. BUT = che c1urr-
should go declare the minors uor.d
be affected n anyone cared to press
the charge against them"
Plays Bls Card.
r. tts action yesterday the Federal
league apparently played its big trump
card In the desperate battle Go has
been wnGirG against organized base
bal for more than a year and before
the case has been settled the inside
workings % the alleged b1se1au trust .
are likely % be exposed thoroughly. {
Indications are that the uulted States
government may Investigate the con
dfslons OF the national game and I'm !
the end the sport should emerge thor
ouEkly cleauscd-
Han Johnson. president % the 2
American league, gave out the follow q
Ing statement az New York last night ,
This suit O. an onshoot o. the Cal .
IaEher resolution In the house % yep ,
reseutativcs few years ago 20 irvss- Z
tlsate the baseball trust which vas I
pleconhoIed. We said then We would
welcome congressional Investigation. {
and we feel the sane about Il now .
~Of Course we viii fEht the suit q
OrEanized baseball is not n trust .
Anybody can buy a team In organ y
lied baseball Or anybody can operate q
an independent league We have no
desire 20 prevent any one from enter Y
Ing the baseball business as long as
theT respect our contracts
we have Go fear OF the result. and
I am sure 70 will put Us risht before r
The public. I am afraid OF only one 7.
thiaE. and that - that the Federal "a
league win blow up before the suit ID
can be heard r.
Hermann Nee Worried p
Garry HERMANN. Chairman % the
rational commission. said Iu
AN stigatl0r or a SUIT OF this al
character Is scrasthinE that has been n
invited By organized baseball. either W
through the courts or q committee u
congress. FOR some years az
,aS.. and We have every reason 90 BE- q,
fENW NnAN WIFI - NAAAAN AtA%@ ~
ri~d aud finished there viii % an =
.b~oiutsiy eieaa book for the national .
Iams. n
we have nothi-E whatever 90 fear. y
Jur aets-fn fact evsrythtas eonzect-
q with the rsrio1aI Agreement. tnr ~
attonal commission. tho Ar1r-teEn
nd National leagues. and AL % their I
lubs-fs al open book and = usattrE
9 record Thts set vii place organ g,
,sd baseball N a poslttoa 20 rakr
harwes a<alrss the Federal league.
sruaxh their answer n this ease. that 90.
IN be Both astounding and surprfs- -
M Co the baseball pebble 80
scnarxiux that the rules % o-xar- 81,
al baseball a1d the rattozAI Es-ce- ,
'~nt srs o vioistfoa cf The eo=r-on O.
~ ane the antitrust statutes % tie a.
,urfry. a. Gads ~ tie FEDERAL
axlsr. Il q r1fJ6 c1s as against TIRE
sarx~ which We VII present % fraut.
,nspfracy. and bsG fsith. WIKI EE- re
sruus circumstances connected elf
lerrwfrh. 20 brsak Up a reputable "a
NJ established Business and break me
,wu the reputation os the rational %
me hVr these acts ard 20 Introduce IN
20 the game dsshoEcst methods and sea
saonsst pFoesediEss- pre-
Players Lsse Protection s1
rohr X Tcrer president % the
tticraf isague. - guctsd as fellows
der a Harrisbgrx. pa date. v
r have no fear 80 - the out-orns Wa
the tsxaI proceedings. or that the Am
fldity o. the nefionai agreement cha
N be upss,a - the court. only cal
x-Ct that tseausc % any extEeut uou
'cunss:Gaces ths Federal league has the
lt frzpcfied o undertake 10 annui tlss
agreement which the members % pur