The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-01-17
ORGANIZED BASEBALL
FILESITS AFFIDAVITS
Aims Counter Charges at Feds
in Reply to Antitrust
Suit of Latter
OPTION CLAUSE DEFENDED

CHICAGO, Jan. 16.-Dcrial In toto OF
allegations made In the petition Of the
Federal League TO Judge X NJ Land,
that he declare The National Commission
and the National aud American leagues
a trust was contained IN an affidavit By
August Hermann National Commission
chairman filed to-day IIcrrm,nns All .
davt was filed with twenty-three other
afiidavlts of organized baseball officials
and players in answer to the Federal
League suit
Herrmann's affidavit traces the expan.
sion Of various Western clubs into the
American League and Of Eastern clubs
into the National League Al baseball
players are not under the "dominatIon
and control OF the national agreement.
he says. but each player is under the
control OF the club with which he has a
conuaci. The leagues do not claim any
absolute right or title to the baseball
player
lie defends the reserve system. deciar-
ing players as class approve it." He
answers af,idavits of Mordccai Brown.
ron Periitt and Lee Magee and cites
their having signed the Players Fratern.
lily requests. and in none Of the com.
plants was objection made against the
so-oalled ten days notice or reservation
clauses.
The affidavit covers forty-scven printed
pages In supplemental affidavit Herr
mann relates an attempt OF the Federal
League, through VI T.. Cantillou. TO enter
organized baseball. Mike Cantillon. pres.
ldent OF the Minneapolis Baseball ana
Athletic Association, wrote him September
: mat while In Chicago he met some OF
the people interested in the Federal
League and that they said that they
thought the FCderals could be gotten
TO fix up on six conditions" one or
these conditions was the elimination OF
the draft, and refusal 20 accept the offer
was urged. Hermann alleges, because m
thls feature was adopted il would pre-
vent ball player from advancing I'm his
portession by EXPERIENCES and SKIN. 10
contemplated and accomplished by ma
uonh agreement provisions"
Correspondence between Hermann and
Charles Weeghmau of the Chicago Fed
erals also Is given.
There mas never been any real Oh
lection made to the ten day claus. sy
any player, and 40 far as my knowi-
edge goes. the Baseball Players F.a-
'''''''N ii'N'l llltluf any OblefflOn-, was
CHARLES A Comiskey's testimony i'm an
aiiidavt in which the Chicago White SoX
owner tells his baseball history II Of
fered Il take the ten day clause out OF
Hal Chase's CONTRACT. bur hr would no,
consent 10 IL. The only demands which
we have made upon players are that they
do the same thing we do--liyc up T., their
contracts. II Is true. as the plainflr
says that there are not enough OF the
expert baseball players TO go around. but
u Is untrue that players are under the
domination OF the clubs | deny thai
false statements and threats have been
made FOR the purpose of harassing and
lnjurihs the plaintn and It's constituent
members"
The old Roman says he first played
ball as pitcher on the Milwaukee AIerts
and related the organization of the West
ern League with Ban H. johnson, then
sporting editor Of the Cincinnati Com
Dercidi Tribune, and the late Matt XII
lilca.
Robert l.. Hedges, president OF the
st. Louis American League club. which,
he SAYS, Is member Of voluntary
organization called the American LcaCus
Iuf Profess ional Baseball clubs" tells o'
ALLEGED attempts Of Federal League
scouts to sign contracts with his players
AS soon a. | learned what Hamilton
had done he states speaking Of Earl
Hamiton's jump to the Kansas City Fed.
erals. II visited him In his home In o.
wego, wnere his father and 7 showed him
the wrong he had done lie refers 10
Hamilton ms "the boy" and says ne
doesn't know whether the Kansas City
Federals gave him $1,000 as special
inducemont 10 hr>ak his contract OF
whether II would he credited as part OF
his salary.
"Since the organization OF the Federal
League the PittsburG National club has
been seriously cmbarra ssed, hampered
and injured from time 10 time by rhids
made ana attempted 10y tho Fcdcyals."
says Barney Dreyfuss OF the PttSburg
Nationals.
others who filed aliday,ts are John A.
Heydlcr, Ban Il Johnson. Michael r..
Cantilon. Charles W. Somcrs. Clark G,
GHnth, Stephen g. Cusack. William r,
Baker, Connie Mack, A. @ Mills and
Frank T. Navin