Norwich bulletin., 1917-01-16

scneuuies Tor the Two major leagues
Tor the coming season The sched-
uleS for the full season of 154 games
have been drawn up and will be pre-
scented for discussion at the meeting
to be held in New York today, but it
is understood that several other sched-
ules have been drafted for the pur
pose of meeting the conditions caus-
ed by the players refusing to report.
One of these drafts provides for the
| elimination of the first series of games
in each league, starting the season a
week or more later than originally in
tended and reducing the schedule of
games to be played from I54 to 122-
! The drafting of new schedules and
the postponement of the opening of
the major league seasons are consid-
cred necessary because of the number
or players already under contract The
clubs VIII have to pay these men their
salaries from the beginning of the
| playing season. 1t is expected, how
/ ever, that some sort of an agreement
| opening date ardives. The players
| must show their hands first by re-
fusing to report at the training camps.
| The clubs are compelled to tender a
| contract to every players before Feb
l, and the players are given a rea
sonable time for signing or rejecting
| the terms. Failure to do this en-
powers the clubs to withdraw the
contracts and gives them the privi-
lege of offering new terms to the
players
Signed Players Must Report.
The fact that each club in the two
big leagues has several players under
contract already will surely compicate
matters when it comes to strike by
the members of the fraternity. Some
of not all. the men signed up at
present are members of the order, and
if they fail to report they violate
their contracts. As some of them are
playing under wartime contracts
made during the Federal League in
vasion, it will be interesting TO learn
how many of them will violate them
by refusing to report.
The fact that some of the members
OF the fraternity report while others
are not allowed to sign is expected to
create diSSenS1On among the members
of the organization. The signed play
ers must report and must play in order
to live up to their contracts, while
those who are not allowed to sign must
remain idle and lose their salaries.
This condition of affairs is almost sure
to have it's effect, and the club owners
feel confident that it will be impossible
for the players to call a successful
strike with the organization divided
against itself.
1t is also said that many of the
members of the order are not in favor
of supporting a sympathy strike and
that some of the owners have letters
from these players to this effect. The
fraternity has admitted that its mem
berS have been fairly treated by the
National Commission, even receiving
more than they asked. While no doubt
the major league players would be
glad to see the minors gain their point,
it is doubtful if they will be willing
to break their own contracts in order
OF help the minors win their case.
The intention of the club owners to
oppose any move that resembles a
strike or hold-out because the minor
leagues have refused to grant the
players demands was learned yester-
Ior aIox +a5 70. how
held meetings in New York, Cincin-
natl, ST. Louis and at several other
points, ad there is a big meeting
scheduled to be held in Chicago to-
morrow. Just what the next move the
players will make is not known by the
clubowners but nothing that will be
done will catch the magnate off their
guard.
have not taken the players strike as
seriously as others, the heads of org
anized baseball have already begun |
preliminary plans to solidify their |
ranks against any such thing as a |
strike. The magnates feel secure in |
their position. The magates of the !
major leagues fail to understand why |
their players should strike in sympa- |
thy with the minors SO trivial a |
matter. On the other hand. the club /
owners of the minor leagues are in n |
defnant mood and do not care what |
the players do. The mior leagues re-
garding the paying of travelling ex-
penSes to the reporting point the [
ground that these demads are unfair.
But the question is an internal sub
ject in the minor leagues, and one in
which neither the major leagues for
the National Commission has any jur-
sdiction.
Players Were Fairly Treated.
In a recent statement President
FuItz declared that the fraternity is
willing to have the question argued
before an impartial tribunal, offering |
o accept the National Commissions
lecision. This, it has been pointed
,ut, cannot be done unless the minor
ca CUES association is willing to waive
is rights of governing its own affairs,
ind the minor leagues declare they
will never waive these rights. The
National Commission has no power to
compel the minor leagues to grant the
of the players. The fact that
he major league clubs pay the play
RS expenses to the training camps il
provided for in the contracts, but there
S no such provision in the minor
eague contracts, although some of the
lubs in the Glass AA leagues have .
aid these expenses.
ENEM AVG N-