New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-11-27
MINOR LEAGUES
WELCOME STRIKE
BY BALL PLAYERS
Many Magnates Prefer to
Lock Parks than to IN
cur Further Losses
Bv W. J. MBETH

That loud and ricocheting grumeiing
discernible above the hubbub OF New
Yorks traffic yesterday was the gui-
faw of organized baseball when II read
Dave Fultz's latest bid for publicity
Dave seems to be getting desperate
these days. Within the past month
he has issued half dozen ultimatums
without one new line Of thought
Those at the head Of organized base
ball declare Fultz is peeved because
the government Of the minor leagues
did not dignity with a reply, any a
a score of official communications from
the Baseball Fraternity head last sea-
son. The straw that broke the camels
back was the turn down of the Fra
ternity demands by the Board OF Aroi-
tration Of the National Association IN
New Orleans.
Organized baseball looks upon the
Fraternity with the tolerance OF
victor 10 a rival engaged in a lost
cause. The threat of n strike no
longer holds any terror TO the opera
tors of baseball. The minor leagues
would welcome a strike. The majors
could tolerate it.
For the last two or three years the
minor leagues in the main have lost
heavily. They would lose nothing BY
locking up their parks. The major
leagues feel il would be madness TO OPP
crate on the salary scale that has pre-
dominated since 1914. A showdown
with the players now would guarantee
a scale of wage such as prevailed pc
fore the Federal League came into the
field. It would be cheaper in the END 70
90 70 the mat now. the big fellows ar
que, in the interests of lower salaries
which are bound to come If the game
is TO be perpetuated as the leading pro
fessional sport of the country. FER
vent as the members of the fraternity
NAV be. they will find quite as much
fervor on the part Of the owners OPP
posed to them.
PLAYERS Organized for Fight
Several weeks AGO it was announced
in these columns that the players had
banded together for mutual protection:
The scheme was exposed. The stars OF
the game had banded together, 1t was
learned on the best of authority, TO
break the binding power of the reserve
clause. On a judicial opinion handed
down from Federal League litigation
they hoped to work through 1917 on eX.
pired 1916 contracts, at the end oil
which time they would consider them
selves free agents.
Organized baseball as typifed by the
major leagues-and it was. major
league PLAYERS who were to be used
as a fulcrum TO obtain the desired CON
cessions-has prepared checkmate for
this scheme. No major league player
will be allowed to 90 South for training
purposes unless he is under contract
for 1917.
To draw salary player must report
in fit physical condition to perform his
duties before the opening of the sea
son. Major league managers hold tne
prerogative of procurement on phys,
ical qualifications. The managers VIII
string with the men who foot the olils;
Until the manager passes the word
anv PLAYER may be suspended without
nav for physical disability. Malcon-
tents. therefore, may be kept idle with
out remuneration.
In the game of freeze-out, the oper-
ators believe, the men of the profess
sion will first cry for mercy. On the
rosters of the various major league
clubs are enough men already under
contract. together with "bushers" not
affiliated with the fraternity to pro-
tect franchises. In a case of necessity
ample semi-pro and amateur talent
could be impressed to assure an aggre-
cation for each of the sixteen major
league clubs. Nine men a side alone
would be necessary If the worst came
TO the worst and real war developed.
"Murmurs Against Fultz"
On the very best of authority it was
learned yesterday that all was not so
harmonious in the fraternity as the
head of the players union intimates. A
former outfeld star of the Giants de-
clared that he had been informed by
fraternity members that there was
murmuring against certain Of Fultz's
policies. The chief objection, he said,
was to a proposed raise in yearly dues
from SIS to s35. Hit a ball player in
the pocketbook and you hit him right
between the eyes with a sledge ham
mer.
$50 far as tho minor leagues 60"
said Ed. Barrow yesterday, "the Play
ers' Fraternity is a huge joke. The
major leagues have only 20 keep a stiff
upper lip and the band will scatter
like chickens before hawk. If players
had any sense they would realize it is
10 their own interests TO give and take
a little. Baseball cannot long be oper-
ated under the extTavagances of sal
aries that have mounted higher and
higher within the last few years. To
put the sport back on its feet the oper-
ating cost must be reduced. II the
r,lnrnrs are tnn thick 70 rraSn this sig