The Detroit times., 1915-01-12
Seek TO Advance Bushers, as
Does NoOther Form of
Business
YET FEDS CHARGE LACK
Or OPPORTUNITY
Swear in Court That D. Ii. Re-
fuses Players Chance for
Advancement
sY HAROLD v. wilcox

TX the eQefal league intenueu "
get organized balls goat by hling It's
antitrust suit, it has succeeded. Not
that the powers OF organized bah are
badly frightened. They are not, but
they are guessing They can't find
the Ethiopian In the fuel pile.
On the face Of H. the outlaws have
so little TO gain and SO much to lose,
either way their suit is decided, that
IL cannot DE 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 afiidayits
were SO weak that they cannot help
but be considered serious blunders, IL
the suit goes TO trial on their merits.
That either the Feds have gotten in
over their heads in a legal entanglc-
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.
fzed baseball.
That is why the orgs are caught
guessing. They can't comprehend
business men OF known ability get.
ting mixed up in a suit that will as
surely ruin their future, il decided as
they plea. as it will handicap the pres
ent system of baseball control. Meth
er can they find the joker. II is GER
tafnly an interesting situation
With every desire TO be fair to the
Feds, II is hard to dope out their hope
OF success by claiming in court that
organized ball has made it hard for
players to seek opportunities for ad-
tion." This was the complaint they
took into court yesterday afternoon.
Baseball. as a business, is almost
alone i'm the world In the manner in
which fits men rise In every profes-
sion and business, ability tends to be
promoted, but in baseball il 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 anG
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, baseball players may
reach the top of their profession be- 4
fore they are 25, and many are in the /
big leagues before they are old |
enough to vote.
Men in other sorts OF endeavor are |
lucky to be well started before they |
are 80.
Ty Cobb was dragged to Detroit |
from little southern bush league
Walter Johnson went to Washington
from a semi-pro team in Montana "a
joie went directly toe the big league
from little New England circuit. l
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
Ottpmwa, Ia, and another from Clin-
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 a
chance to make good under the most
favorable OF circumstances. John Nc.
Graw. manager OF the Giants. is go
Ing to invest something like $50. 900
this spring in giving little-known re-
cruits a chance to make good. And
30 IL goes around the big circuits.
And yet the Federals go into court /
with the plant that organized ball i
does not offer players opportunities
for advancement and increased com.
pepsation." Among the practices I
complained of by the Feds In their
affidavits are the farming OF players.
and abuse of the waiver.
II player Is farmed out, il means
that he has had his chance TO make
good and has failed Almost invar.
fably. however, he is farmed out 10
the best job he ever had in his life. !
Abrse OF the waiver Is one OF the .
riskiest 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. III .
he isn't that good, he rs still certain