The sun., 1916-12-19
TENER Is AGAINST
LIFTING OF DRAFT
National League President
Thinks Minors Benefit by
Present Rule.
SPORT Is ADVANCING
~ q. LIEB.


By FREDERICK g.. LIEB.
Tint ARGUMENTS ~, o,.ss "A ,,,ror
- ~
""e" "c" u" 'he harusn'ps OF inc
present draft system are not sustained
hy facts. IL tho opinion of ,,rcSident
.ro,cr n, ,ho N.,,or., r,. CO.
-.
draft question has been greatly exag-
seratcd.
There are twenty-five class "A clubs.
and Of this number the major leagues
drafted only eight players last IAN sa,d
Tcncr yesterday. That practically IN
only one player lost In the draft to every
three class IA clubs. The n%ternatiopal
League lost only three players In the
draft las. season.
Furthermore. tho class IA leagues
are by no means entirely IN accord as to
the benefits to he acquired through the
draft. A number Of club owners OF
teams In this classification favor its re-
tcntion. Tho argument also Is advanced
by some minor league mon that through
the draft tho big leagues attemp, TO get
players for $500 for which they could
get much larger sums In opcr compete
However, the fact remains that few
Of the leading class "A PLAYERS ever get
INTO the draft. Whenever "A payer OF
unusual promise is dcyclopcd in the
class "A leagues there always is keen
bidding for his purchaser before the
drafting season. Nv bidding against
each other, clubs often have raised the
price OF a minor league player to an
exceedingly hig., figure.
Player Weeds Advancement.
CLUBS try 10 set *to,ooo players ior
mcnt that exemption from tho draft will
enable the higher minor leagues to re-
ain the star PLAYERS they devotion.
Then again it seems unfair to keep a
star player i'm the minors II he displays
enough skill to rise TO the ton Of his
profession. Can you. make the minor
leagues major leagues by taking away
the draft:
81 believe something should bc done to
helm the minor eagucs. but where the
shoe pinches IL to find out Just what ails
them. That there IL some underlying
cause for the decline OF minor league
ball in the last three years / have no
doubt"
-
Tcncr. n National League ball player
OF the late SOS. Is one old timer who will
not admit that the old boys were the
best. Neither will he admit that the
players of ten years g have anythinc
On the players OF to-day. Tub Spencer
recently started a lively discussion when
he aid that the American League was
much faster when he broke in with the
-. LOUIS Browns IN iso' man Wnen u.
season. BIZ Dinecn. BIZ Donovan AND
'o"'
Gam. ,s.. Ina
Il cannot concede 'hat the game ma,
gone back said leher yesterday
believe next season you VIII see ,he pes
ball III inc history OF 'he hlayor leasues
Most OF the old contracts wiz nave run
out. ana inc p'aSerS VIII snv" u"e' na.s
~ hustle. ! oeieIc paseoai, az d s'N,'
Is a~dvahclis All the 'ne; IL p'"ye,
arc learning nc" '""' az" "'
metnooS' ,l
However, 'ne'o u" ~, 80
IKE 10 say !" '"No' v,
pla!er-tha' Is Wv. P'''s. ~. -.
~ 4" ~" -. ,an,n. Ita ua. 1,
ne was IN 'he MINOR ieasu-s " u
inc game every "'"u'I u" "" .
sire wue 10 So. u. we 'e .S,tor ou,
MOI th'nN you an" .on ~ go,
-" 49, -. 90, la.
satisned 10 ~ Jus, no ~.
'.specla'I!, ! ann o!u = ma
man VINO "a -. Wy ~,
Sucn a P'a.er oI.c" Psss wv" y. =.
afnp''ion' ms ","l' 49,, "ipu",S "
ne 10 eet MS ea'a'y :. we mn'n .Sa
amount Oh e"e'sE "'' NV ''
u" NY ""''
~" "
That relations between George Stall
ings and his boss. Percy Haushton. arr
more strained now than they were befor'
as a result OF Haushton's refusal to sci
his release to Weeghman is the state
ment OF men close to the pair. In fac
II Is said that Stallings and Percy had
lively TN before the latter left for Geor
gta last Thursday.
Stallings really was anxious to cast hi
fortunes with the Cubs and he had spen
National League meeting. The story h
''h''