Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-09-07
so SAYS A. E. JOHNSON, OF WAT.
ERLoo, STATiSTIclAN OF
CENTRAL ASSOCIATION.
RULE is RULE. REGARDLESS
OF ITS coNsTlTUTloNALiTy
johnson Declares Manager Esan, Of
Musoatine, Unsportsmaniike For Ap.
pealine to National Commission
When He Benefited by Same Rule
Last Season.


Tribune, A. E. Johnson. sports writer
| for that paper. and statistician of the
Central Baseball Association. declares
that Marshalltown is entitled to the
| 1916 pennant. may rightfully claim it,
and that the veteran rule should be
| upheld by the league directors
In his article, published in the Wa
terloo paper this morning, Mr.. johnson
says:
1T isn't often that a baseball league
has two claimants to the pennant at
| the close of a season. However, this
| is the present situation in the Central
| association. Muscatine and Marshall
town both claim the flag. Altho both
will undoubtedly continue to claim the
honors, it remains to be seen which
will get the emblem.
Getting right down 10 cold facts,
Marshalltown is entitled to the pen
| nant. 1t makes no difference whether
the five-veteran rule is constitutional
or unconstitutional. 1t was a rule of
the Central association, adopted by
every member of the league 1t was
upheld last year, even tho cussed and
kicked by nearly every city in the
league. When games were thrown out
last year and Clinton sent 70 the bot
tom Of the percentage column. no
action was taken by the national COM
mission. Certainly the national c2c:-
mission could have acted without a
specific protest No one was more
active Or having games thrown out
last year than vas Muscatine 1t was
Muscatine which unearthed the fact
that Pitcher Cooper was a veteran,
and it was on this point that Keokuk
was showed out of second place and
Clinton to the bottom.
Not Good Sportsman
1T is unsportsmanlike for Ned Egan
to appeal to the national commission
at this time. That Egan should be
benefited thru the enforcement Of the
rule last year and its non enforcement
this year is point no one will con-
tend is fair Egan had no more right
10 carry six veterans than any other
club. Clinton and Marshalltown could
undoubtedly have strengthened their
clubs greatly during the season had
they been permitted to use another
vet eran Manager Brown declared re-
Gently that he had been forced TO carry
young Corrigan at short, an admitted
~ weak man, when but for the veteran
rule he could have signed valuable
player who, Brown declared, would
have put his team out in front Of Mus
catine in spite of the six Musky vet
Grams. The Ansons were sadly in need
of twirler when Penner was injured,
~ ~ ;rt INV ot @ crifi-
cal period of the race. With both of
these clubs prevented from adding
veterans to their list. will any fair
minded person say the rule should be
violated by Muscatine and no action
taken by President Justice?
Hurt All Clubs.
"One can 90 into the affairs Of every
member of the associa ton and find
where the veteran rule interfered with
STRENGTHENING the clubs. Waterloo was
compelled to let Second Baseman
F'innegan go when 1t was discovered
that Lee Hart is a veteran. Manager
Brennan did not know Hart had played
in enough games to make him vet
eran until he was informed by Frank
Boyle that this was the case. 1t was
then up to Manager Brennan to turn
veteran loose.
When Whaley and Davis injured
their salary wings last spring. Man
ager Brennan found it almost impos-
sibe TO secure right handlers who were
not veterans. He was offered no less
than four good right hand uwirlers, but
every man was a veteran and could
not be used. The result was that Wa
terloo had to drift along with three left
hand pitchers, one too many for any
club.
'.President Justice has been quoted
as saying he will leave the matter to
the directors Of the league. He has
ordered thirty-six Muscatine victories
thrown out of the standings. and II
they are put back again it will be be-
cause the league directors say so. It
lis doubtful If the directors will take
this stand which would be unfair to
,Marshaiituwn and every other member
of the league.
in the meantime Marshalltown and
Muscatine may both claim their teams
won the pennant"