The sun., 1916-11-25
BASEBALL STRIKE
is SERIOUS MATTER
President Tener Thinks PLAY.
ers Would Make Mistake
in Drastic Move.
MINORS ONLY INVOLVED
~ FIR q. Lien.

should the major league players Az.
clare a strike because Of the refu.a, q,
the National Association to grant c.,.
tain demands requested by the Player,
Fraternity. It will be a strike not as,,n.,
the National Commission. but asaln,,
the very game OF baseball itself" ,alS
League yesterday in reply 10 Day.
Fultz's strike threat. Fultz Thur,d,v
said fraternity players will not sign con.
tracts unless the minor league conce,.
sions are granted.
Il cannot conceive how the PLAYER,
can talk Of a strike on such an issue,
continued the former Pennsylvania ~.
ecutive. Furthermore. II would be Tho
major league players who would have 10
bear h brunt Of such a strike. The
class "A and A minors. also protected
by the fraternity. could easily sign vp
sixteen men to the team, and 20 ahead
with their schedules. That would mean
that only the major league players would
be idle and losing their means OF liyeli.
hood over a trivial minor league matter.
"A sympathy strike by big league
players under such circumstances would
be the most foolish and detrimental
thing the players could do. For years
the National Commission has done
everything possible for the betterment
and advancement of the big league
player. Mr.. Fultz admits the National
Commission has been fair and Just. 7
will go even further than that. In all
disputes between players and club own
ers the commission invariably leans/
toward the player. so jealous is II tina,
the rights Of the player be protected
Contracts Prove Rule.
81 see Fultz finally has dug up two
contracts which have n clause permit.
ting a club to suspend a player withou,
pay in the event that he meets with A
baseball injury. The fact that Full
can show only two such contracts Is y
sermon in itself. 1t shows to what
lengths the commission goes to pro'er'
players and hoy we safeguard their
rights, when only two such contracts
and both Of them unauthorized-are in
existence.
"And the players would strike agains,
us. who have been their friends and ben
efactors, The major league players
strike because of some petty minor
league grievance. Is that just and fair
/ repeat such a strike would no, b
against the club owners or the National
Commission. but against the basic
foundation OF baseball.
''Fultz says his quarrel is with the
commission and only indirectly with the
National Association. Is that 30? chair
man Hermann of the commission always
has furnished Fultz with whatever ds'a
he has asked for. and his relations with the
fraternity president always have been
cordial and pleasant. II Fultz will re-
call when the Matte Sal Commissloh
granted the players soine concessions a
few years ago. the minor leagues did no.
concur in all the commission actions,
and President Sexton OF the National .As-
ISOLATION did all the talking FOR the
minor leagues. the commission repre-
senting the majors.
strike Is Unfair.
THE minor leagues maintain 4 sepa.
rate organization. In fact. the Ma.
tional Association antecedcs the Ma
tional Commission Now. because We do
not say to the minor leagues. You must
do this the fraternity is ready 10 in
clude the big leagues In its strike and
launch its strike agatns, the commission,
with whom the fraternity always has had
pleasant relations and whom the players
themselves admit always has treated
them with impartial fairness
A meeting OF the National commissIo0
will be held In chicago wednesday Nhe
the fratcrnity's strike threat will be %
live issue. The primary Object II ''
meeting. however. will lie TO discuss i'-
new form OF contracts which attorNeN.
FOR the major leagues have drawn HH
The suit OF the Baltimore Federal l.edgI'
directors. which comes up early u'N
year, also will be taken up by the COM
mission.