The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-02-14
WHAT ARE HOLDOUTSI GOING TO DO? BARONS|
 WILL PLEASE ANSWER
Situation in South Reflects Conditions All Over CountryFed erals Not Looking With Cheerful Eye Toward Malcon
 tents-Sign or What?-Fans Want to Know
Ny RICHARD F. LUssIER


 What are the "hold-outs' of the South ern league going to do?
 This is a question that is very vital to the baking players, and is rather inter- esting to the baseball fans throughout the circuit; it might be said that it is a fairly diverting problem to the magnates. And the situation in the Southern league is identical to every other baseball circuit on the North American continent; even the Federss assuming a nonchalant at titude to recalcitrant youngsters and vet erans who are not amiably disposed to- ward the contracts preferred them.
 The year 1913 saw baseball reaching the zenith of it's popularity. It marked the high tide of prosperity for the magnates and promoters, In 1914 the outlaws, backed by millionaires who looked upon their heavy expenditures in the Federal league as so much useful advertising, be- came a disturbing factor in the baseball world. By this is not meant that the Federals were ever a major league or ganization or for that matter ever will be. hlt it is meant that the Federal league disturbed the even tenor of the baseball market, and set up false values on the worth of ball players. And the players therefrom now suffer.
 Under the regime of the national com- mission and associated bodies of minor leagues the players were kept under the proper restraint so necessary to the last ing popularity of the sport. Salary lists were kept within the income of the va rious leagues and players of unusual abil- ity attained suitable monetary rewards then, as now. This Is all changed. Chaos now reigns in the baseball world and the outlook the coming season is not of the fosiest of hues. Optmists in baseball are now conspicuous by their absence.
 Federals at Best
 Last season saw the Federals in the zenith of their power. As stated before the only perceptible effect of the Federas was on the player market A false player value was set up, and every bush-leaguer in the country secured a raise in salary by a threat to jump to the Feds" Even at that everything would have worked like a charm had the outlaw organization been able to win popular support This the millions of Ward, Weeghman ct al. could not accomplish and last fall, Presi- dent Gilmore of the Federals realized that he had miseraby failed to break into organized baseball, and the tricky meth ods of the fly-by- might lunchroom league had driven away popular support. But one thing Gilmore realized he had ac- swelled the heads of several hundred of l<.1l VI, 1r;, ruin scores of minor league magnates Gilmore knew also that he had cost the National and American league thousands of dollars; he also knew that organized baseball had millions and would fight 10 the last cent. In battle of resources Gilmore felt that the odds were against him and quit cold the announced policy of the Federal ieague to boost salaries and tempt players to jump their contracts Gilmore then tried the legal game and started an antitrust suit and this is practically the last squeal that will bc heard of the Federals for sometime.
 But it is with the abandonment of the Federal league policy of tempting players with ''big money to jump and also to cutting down the squads to 20 players that the debacle in the player marSet came with a crash If the FederalS would not pay real money for players organized baseball willy-nilly would adopt the same policy. It was then that the players realized that in a baseball war; only the player can lose.
 It was not only the Federal league that started the curbing of salaries; the minor leagues having d great deal of influence in the matter. Last fall the minors, after an unsuccessful season, due to the high salaries of the players and lack of popular support decided to retrench. The retrenchment order was sent broad cast in the minors and this spring con tracts are sent out with large and juicy cuts in salaries; the contracts offered be- ing about the same figures paid prior to 1913. The National and American league also decided to retrench but their meth ods was not to cut salaries but to re- tain the same figurs as last season. The Federals, as statede previously, had al ready chimed in with their little idea of retrenchment; the idea that startede them all doing it.
 Contracts in the majority of the minor leagues began going out about the middle of January. It was then that howl was heard all over the land Players who had last season dictated terms, in dis gust and anger. lit cigarettes with their contracts and became "hold-outs." The managers instead of being dismayed came out with interviews that the players could sign at the terms offered or leave them