The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1915-01-12
Seek to Advance Bushers as
Does No Other Form OF
Business
YET FEDS CHARGE LACK
Oh OPPORTUNITY
-.-----s------
Swear in Court That o. b. Re
fuses Players Chance for
Advancement
BY HAROLD v. wilcox

If the Federal league intended To
get organized balls goat by filing It's
antitrust suit, il. has succeeded. Not
that the powers OF organized ball are
badly frightened. They are not, but
they are guessing They can't find
the Ethiopian in the fuel pile,
On the face OF IL, the outlaws have
so little TO gain and SO much to lose,
either way their suit is decided, that
II cannot be seriously believed that
a mere decision on the points OF law
that they have raised IS what they are
after. The charges, which they
brought yesterday in their affldavits,
were so weak that they cannot help
but be considered serious plumbers, II
the suit goes TO trial on their merits.
That either the Feds have gotten in
over their heads in a legal entangle-
ment that cannot fail TO act as a
boomerang, or the whole thing is
masking trump card that has NOT
ben doped out, is the belief OF organ
ized baseball
That Is why the orgs are caught
guessing They can't comprehend
business men of known ability get
ting mixed up in suit that will as
surely ruin their future. II decided as
they plea, as IL will handicap the pres
ent system of baseball control Meth
er can they find the joker IL is Ger.
tainly an interesting situation.
With every desire 10 be fair 10 the
Feds, il is hard TO dope ont their hope
of success by claiming in court that
organized ball has made i hard for
players 10 seek opportunities for adj
vancement and increased compeTDa-
tion." This was the complaint they
took into court yesterday afternoon
Baseball, as a business, is almost
alone in the world in the manner in
which its men rise. In every profess
sion and business, ability tends TO be
promoted, but in baseball II is drag
ged to the top. Manufacturers, law
yers, doctors and all the vast army OF
employers of this and that sort of
labor wait for talent to come TO them.
or, at best, catch II on the rise, Base
ball, by costly system OF scouts and
purchase, digs for its men.
Thanks TO the scout system and the
intricate net work of allied interests
with which organized ball has covered
the country, bayeball players may
reach the top of their profession be-
fore they are Is, and many are in the
big leagues before they are old
enough TO vote.
Men in other sorts of endeavor are
lucky TO be we'll started before they
are 30.
Ty Cobb was dragged to Detroit
from a little southern bush league.
Walter Johnson went TO Washington
from a semi-pro team in Montana La
1oie went directly to the big league
from a little New England circuit
And so runs the history OF hundreds
Of other stars. And each promotion,
gained by speed unequaled in any
profession. means an increase In sal
ary more than proportionate TO the
jumr.
Consider the list of recruit pitchers
which the Tigers will try out this
spring. One comes from Roanoke, Va,
another from Duluth, the third from
Ottumwa, Ia. and another from Gin
ton, in the same state The other
three are from Memphis. Nashville
and Topeka. Each OF them was dug
up by scout. purchased in the way
that organized ball provides, given
favorable OF circumstances. John Nc.
Graw, manager OF the Giants, is go
ing TO invest something like $4,000
this spring in giving little-known re-
cruits chance to make good. And
30 II goes around the big circuits.
And yet the Federals go into court
with the plant that organized ball
does not offer players opportunities
for advancement and increased com.
peDsation." Among the practices
complained OF by the Feds in their
affidavits are the farming OF players,
and abuse of the waiver
II player r. farmed out II means
that he has had his chance to make
good and has failed Almost invar.
fably, however. he is farmed out TO
the best job he ever had in HIS life.
Abuse OF the waiver Is one OF the
risliest propositions in baseball. II a
man is worth his keep in the major
league, he is seldom bothered by a
trade made without his consent. II
he isn't that good. he r. still certain
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