Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-12-10
BASEBALL MAGNATES
GATHER THIS WEEK
International League Owners Will
Have Several Questions to Decide.
Shorter Season Most Important.
BOSSES AND H1RELINGs FIGHT
Major Organizations May Discover
Tartan in Dave F'ultZ, Who Says
Few Players VIII Sign-Reduced
Salaries and New Contracts.

Few Players VIII Sign-Reduced
Salaries and New Contracts.
The hired help" of baseball is all
/ primcd for death scufie with the
bosses. Failure of the ruling powers
( In the major and minor leagues TO
/ grant their demands has pceved the
[ players TO point where they are
making threats to refuse to report at
the training camps next spring.
Annual blow offs in each ma ior
! league Will take place this week. and
! our own little international League
magnatcs VIII have another of their
/ very own tomorrow. with them one
! Of the principal question will be the
/ shortening of the season SO that a Sc
/ rics may he played with teams Of the
/ American Association. 1t is not SO
much Il question as a decision. how
ever. for your Uncle Eddie narrows
stated his status quo on the PROPOSE
;ion when he approved the plan In q
telegram TO President Hickey. OF tho
American Association, and invited :,
committee OF that organization TO at
tend the couclavc in New York to-mor-
ROW They'll he there. j. is consid-
cred doubtful If anything definite vii:
develop concerning that third maj or
league
National League maSnates and man
ayers with their retinues of hanger
ons and scribcS viii gather on Non
day afternoon st the Waldorf. in New
York ON Tuesday. Ban Johnson who
| IS showing his Independence by haiinG
! his crowd 10 Chicago. will star; their
side show. OF course. these initial Ses-
slons viii he simon pure and lco-proot
10Y gatherings. Tho National League
starts activities On Tuesday, while the
American League will not begin rcEu-
larry until Thursday. after their an
cient brethren have taken action on
"Il OF the important matters which
viii confront both organizations
Leaders Of tho BASEBALL world have
much OF Importance TO consider this
winter. indeed. OF far more import
:nce than they have faced since The
frs, rumbiings OF the Federal League
invasion.
Viii do is question. President Da-
VI" l. ruiiz, while apparently de-
lighted 81 recent friendly action by
the National Commission. is on rec
ORD as demanding support from both
/ big Leagues Ia the night of lis org,ni.
3"iion against ;he Minor League As
soclatioE ON pain Of having every
major League player refuse Signatures
on 1917 contracts
A"d every scribe Oh the job vii!
/ watch Jus; on" man.-Davc Fultz,
/ former Brown University football and
Baseball star, former outheIdcr and
second bascman fo- Connie Mack.s
\tl!e;ics. and Clark Grifith's High
/ !ahders, At PRESENT practicing al
+ 'orney. football official and presi-
( dent OF the Players Fraternity. He's
/ the man totinG the sack Of dynamite
z IA or
only about 10 per cent of mo
players are under contract at TIE pres
/ en- time" declared Fultz "Of the
"thers. approximately so per cent have
as!tei not 20 sign new contracts until
/ gwen sanction by the fraternity
We have made certain demands
upon the ruling powers of baseball
Each and every one is fair. We ask
nothing that is out OF line with justice
/ for all concerned. Yet the baseball
leaders either have rejected our de-
] mands natly or have ignored them
! entirely. And such treatment does not
appeal TO the players"
/ Among the most important demands
are these:
/ h( Thar the club owners shall nay
an injured player during the entire
period of disability. or release Inn,
Immediately upon being injured. so the
prayer can begin at once to seek some
other job.
/ CD That ali minor-league players
be paid travelling expenses to and from
/ the training camps
The minors have objected strenu-
onsIE TO the latter request" said Fultz
! They claim that the club owners in
! the minors haven't such stable hank
rolls ms TO he able to pay such ex-
! penseS for the players. But think OF
the player! He may get 500. $3.50 or
perhaps 5000 month, should he make
or I,,t t,A
| If lie doesn't. And yet he Is called
upon to pay out of his own pocket the
heavy expenses incident 10 making
trips TO training camps. some far re-
mote from his home town"
! Fultz said tho membership OF the
fraternity now is beyond 1890. which
statement comes as something of n
surprise. 1t was figured that the total
enrolment wouldn't be 5O0--if that
much.
wv" have been recruiting very quiet
~" he said about 81 per cent OF the
major league players are in our or
Eanization. together with about 30 per
cent of the higher class minors"
The new contracts that Will he is
sued to the diamond frolickers this
year undoubtedly will contain many
new clauscs---inserted by the moguls.
The magnates now are celebrating on
a number OF new rules by which they
hope to bind the player with more
frmness than ever before.
Some leaders favor contract to
cover the entire year. The presen,
one merely covers the playing season.
The reason for the proposed change
is to prevent harnstormInR--a practice
long frowncd upon by the club owners.
The expiration Of many wartime con-
tracts this year means big reduction
| In 1917 in the major league pay rolls.
Wholesale cuts will he made in the
salaries OF tho players. Those who
got from $4,000 to $4,000 as the result
az war. will have TO be content with
$4,000 to $4,000.
The days OF big pay for the ball