The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-02-26
MAYER IS VICTIM OF
 FEDERAL LEAGUE
May Be Forced to Play for No Salary or Not at All.
 Mixed With Feds

Sammy Mayer, the Atlanta ball player is the victim of a peculiar trick of fate, and seems doomed either to play ball for nothing or not play at all. Sammy be- came entangled in the Federal league baseball situation, and as result finds himself back exactly where he was. Sammys woes are picturesquely re- lated by Fuzzy Woodruff in the Atlanta Georgian as follows
 Our distinguished fellow townsman, Sammy Mayer who doesn't depend on the fact that he is a brother of the great Erskine to make his way in the baseball world, is wearing a face of length and cloudiness to betoken that all is not well with him.
 And it isn't For Sammy seems to be the victim of a trick of a nature that has done much to bring organized base | ball into disrepute and made such upris- ings as that of the Federal league possi- ble.
 Here is the situation: Sammy last year was with George Te- beaus Kansas City American association club, where he performed in stellar fash ion in MT. Tebeau's outfield. But Tebeau had Federal league opposi- ton right in his own back yard, and the peope of Kansas City patronized the Gil more gang to the depletion and embar- rassment of MT. Tebeau's bank roll. So serious was this depletion, likewise embarrassment, that Tebeau found diff ficulty in paying off his hired hands. At least he didn't pay them off
 And Sammy Mayer was one of the suf- ferers,
 Now, Sammy didn't ike this business of playing ball for nothing or for the en- richment of George Tebeau, and about that time he had fine juicy offer from the Brooklyn Feds. Sammy though, was under an iron-clad contract to Tebeau. But ne held that Tebeau's failure to pay his salary was a breach of contract that vitiated that agreement. He carried his contention to the United States court, and the federal judge held hls contention was good
 Sammy became a free agent.
 And then Sammy went with the Brook lyn Feds. He had successful season. but, looking a little beyond the tip of his nose he saw that the Federal league s days were nuxlbered.
 About this time Clark Griffith, man ager and chief cook and botte washer of the Washington American league club, came along with very succulent and at tractive offer for Sammy.
 sammy signed With Griffith, and there Sammy slipped, for he thereby bound himself irrevocably to organized ball.
 Then came the peace agreement and right off the reel managers became de- cidedly less careful of the welfare and the future of their athletes.
 One of Griffith's first acts was to throw Sammy overheard, and where did he cast him? Why, nowhere except back into the nurturing arms of that philanthropist George Tebeau, from whose fell clutches Sammy had just escaped. Fine business for Sammy. Sammy declares he will not play for Tebeau until his back salary is paid, and he doesn't want to play in Kansas City at that.
 He has an idea that life would not be bed of roses for him with Tebeau.
 But despite this he has nowhere to turn unless he chooses to make long costly and strenuous fight in the courts of baseball and law.
 Wherefore sammy doesn't smile Wherefore he doesn't any more know where he's going this season than the boy cast out from home with nothing more substantial than God bless you"