New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1917-10-31
DRAFT TO PLAY Big
ROLE IN BASEBALL
Government Will Summon Stars
and Majors Will Drain Minors


son, as we'll as various of the club |
owners, have recently given assur- |
ance that the game will be played !
next season unless conditions develop !
which will positively prohibit it,
But in the meantime they are re-
alzing that war is all that Sherman
said it was, and while sequestering
in the customary winter oblivion the
men who handle the reins, and like
wise the money, are making plans
for some radical changes for what
they consider the most uncertain sea-
son in many years.
A Double Meaning.
1t Is the opinion of most baseball
men that the draft is going to figure
very prominently in baseball before
next year, and in this instance the
draft has double meaning. The gov
eminent will undoubtedly draft heav-
lily upon ball players before another
spring rolls around, and as a measure
of reprisal for representation, the
big leagues will have to draft heavily
on the minor league players to fill the
ranks.
In this manner the big leagues will
be kept in operation, but as conse-
quence many minor leagues which
weathered the last season will be
practically put out of business.
Baseball a Bit Backward.
Baseball as yet has not made any
considerable contribution in men to
the army. Comparatively few ball
players have either volunteered or
been drafted. Many of them escaped
the draft during the summer because
they had drawn high numbers and
were not called. Hank Gowdy was
the only big league player deliberate
ly to quit baseball to go into the
army.
But baseball men see big inroads
being made on their talent by the new
ruling on the selective draft law by
which the men have been classified.
Single men and those without depen-
dents are to be drawn first. AS re-
suit, many players who escaped last
summer will be taken into the army
on the next draft, and the result I'M
doubtedly will make it necessary to
rebuild many of the clubs.
Both New York clubs stand to lose
some men by such action. McGraw
may lose Benny Kauff and one or two
other men, while the Yankees may be
deprived of Pipp, Gilheeley and
Shocker. Such a blow would be a
staggering one to the Yankees.
The plan to recruit from the minor
leagues which, was talked over by
Ban Johnson and Ed Barrow as early
| as last summer would keep the big
| league afloat, though the standard
| would be slightly lowered. But the
| major leagues would still represent
! the best there was in the country.
| It is not expected that many minor
| leagues below Glass A will even at
tempt to open their gates next year.
Many of the smaller organizations
quit during the past season with
heavy financial losses, while others
that finished will not attempt to OPP
crate until the war is over So the
big leagues will have plenty of mate
rial to draw from, and ball players
are liable to be drug rather than a
scarcity on the market
War Contracts.
From now on war contracts are 60
ing to have an entirely different mean
ing, according to the club owners who
are now trimming sail for next year.
Where the Federal league wartime
contracts were highly inflated, the
new war contracts will be reduced in
like proportion.
Practically the last of the war con-
tracts that abounded in the Federal
league days expired this year. A very
few remain in force. And it is GER
tain that none of those which expired
will ever be renewed at anything like
the figures in the original. Ball play
ers will hardly expect such renewals.
There has been a. hint that the Play
ers' Fraternity would show new signs
of life this winter If a big cut was
made in salaries, but club owners
hardly anticipate any trouble from
that source.
There is no question but that SAL
aries will be cut next year." said one ,
club owner. I'VE have to cut salaries
if we expect to play ball next year,
and the players will have to be con-
tented with smaller salaries If they
want to play at all. 1t is not a ques-
ton of taking advantage of the play
ers but of prom citing the game. And
it was not to be expected that the
big contracts would be renewed
But four players on the Yankee
team have contracts that carry them
into next season. All the others ex-
pired this year Among them were
those of Ray Caldwell, Ray Fisher and
Maisel. Caldwell drew 5000 last sea-
son, minus fines. and won thirteen out
Of twenty mine games. Fisher drew
$500 and won less than half his
games, while Maisel had his worst
year in the big leagues, finishing tho
season with a batting average of ISL. |
None of these players will look for
renewals at anything like those
figures.
OF course, at this time Of the year, !
with spring a long way off and the
air filled with war talk, there are apt
to be many plans proposed which will
never be carried out. But the club
owners are making every effort to cut
their operating expenses from 25 to
40 per cent, and this will mean big
cuts in salaries as the first item 1t
may mean, too the end Of luxurious
travelling conditions which have pre-
vailed in the major leagues-at least