New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-11-05
Baseball Stars Face
Mem Type of Contract

the National Commission, thess -
erning bodies Of baseball are liksl, :.
counter for greater assurances Of ro.i
faith on the part Of the plsyers
Indeed, il has been advised By e..
tain club owners OF the major Learn.
that the National and Amsr,..
leagues, at their annual meeting, n
December. effect certain changes Ia u.
form Of contract employed, 10 that a.
men will be bound 70 show Of the Al;
far more respect in moral obligstis.
TO their employers.
Certain radicals have express.s
themselves in favor OF ineorpontrs
anti-slcohol and snti-nicotine elsusS,.
others have suggested that articiss
should be inserted which would u,s.
vent players from gadding about /,
automobiles during the playing sessos,
still others object 70 the game Of seY
Abuse of Privilege
ASS general thing. owners leave q.
discipline of the players IN the hasls
of managers. Most managers obIsrs
TO hard and fast rules Of conduct ~,
Ieel IIdl slCU uAotA4HAlhdkt dkhlLtt TIA
men of balance, and that they enr,r.
der animus, which destroys harmon,
Yet 10 must be confessed that Of hs
years abuse Of privilege has beeou,
more and more apparent. Somethiss
must be done 20 curb the apparent
indifference Of players behavior o. hs
field.
The advent of the Federal Learn
was a signal for major and mino,
league players to overstep the bound,
of discipline and propriety 70 whleh
they had psssively submitted-and 70
the eternal good of the game-tar
many years. With the passing Of ths
outlaws conditions did not at ores
swing back into the old channel. The
players showed no disposition to give
up the newly found freedom.
Il has been held by some that player
of to-day are too generously paid. Tia.
NAV not be true. But IL seems tn,
that the athletes are now prone 70
f1aunt their opulence in the face OF q
offended public. 1t has not been tie
best thing for the game from which
these young men earn fine living that
they ride 10 and from the parks in
high-powered cars, some with liyerisd
attendants. II is this airy arroganes
that the promoters are anxious TO curb.
Perhaps the remedy is at hand in tie
expiration OF wartime salaries. As
the players exacted the last pound Of
flesh when the case was reversed, !. IL
not likely that the employers will BE-
swayed by any tender feelings o.
mercy when il is time 20 draw neg
papers. Certainly the magnates have
taken no pains 10 conceal their deter.
mination 10 readjust salaries on q more
safe and sane business footing.
For this they cannot be blamed. No.
body begrudges any player his pay, pro-
vided he does his best 20 earn IL. The
great trouble has been in the last year
or two that many Of the stars were in.
terested only in the end and no, tho
means.
Guarantee Needed
The Players Fraternity is asking
nothing unreasonable from the govern.
ment of baseball, provided il will guar.
antee that its members on their side
scrupulously fulfil the moral obligs.
tions of their contrsctual agreements
But there lies the great difficulty. The
sense of obligation in the average
player is not highly developed.
Since the close of the season a nun.
Der of we'll known players have been
transforming throughout the county.
They imperil their athletic careers on
poor grounds for scant remunerstion.
As they finance their trips, they travel
in poor style and patronize cheap
hotels. Their athletic life, outside d.
big show, is not one calculated to edify
the fair name OF major league baseball
Many of these same players, after
they finish hippodroming through The
sticks, Will retire into lazy commences!
through the winter, TO report hog fal
next spring to their managers. Yet Il
would be difficult indeed TO point o..
to these players wherein such action
could be in any sense construed as an
injustice to an employer.
Barney Dreyfuss, the Pittsburgh rad.
ical. who is out to reform the National
Commission, once proposed a scheme
that the leagues might have done well
TO consider rore favorably. lie sdyo-
Gated that the present form Of con-
tract be dispensed with and that in rs
stead one be drawn that puts players
under pay, and consequently under OBJ
legation TO their employers. all the year
around. instead of for only six months
as at present.
This is a suggestion which is likely
to meet with really serious consider.
ton before the beginning OF another
season. In the first place, IL should b
a great boon TO the improvident sh'
lete.
Perhaps something Of the nature Is
in the wind. for as yet none Of The
owners in either major league has made
any attempt TO renew contracts whleh
expired with the season past. CONTRACTS
covering twelve months, instead OF ne
customary six, would leave players sub
ject TO discipline throughout the o.
season as well as during the real can
paign.
Such a reform would be boon 70
the club owner, but il also would y
quite as great a benefit TO the sincere
player, and would mean a winter nen