Omaha daily bee., 1917-01-28
OPTIONAL BUYS
HURT BASE BALL
International League Makes
Ruling Not to Accept Play
ers on Such Agreements,
zBYszKo IS ON wARPATH
By JACK vEIOcK.

together here during the early part OF 1
the month they passed upon a ques-
ton that has long been like burr
under the saddle to minor league club
owners the country over.
The question was whether TO accept
players from major league clubs un-
der optional agreements, which give
the big league owner the right to re-
call them before the season closes.
The International leaguers voted
against the practice, and from now on
il they live up to their agreement.
no players will be taken off the hands
of big league managers unless they
are to be permitted to stick through
out the playing season.
The move was just one more evi-
dence OF the unrest that is prevalent
within the minor leagues all oyer the
country. At the meeting Of the Ma
tional association in New Orleans last
| fall the club owners OF all minor
leagues talked over plans whereby
they might better conditions, and the
optional agreement came in for a
share of discussion, particularly
among the magnates OF the three big
minor leagues.
Not Quite Fair.
II isn't quite fair to a minor league
club owner to be called upon to give
up a player in mid-season when his
club is likely to be in the midst OF a
light for the leadership Of the league
Take one good player out Of lineup,
aud the winning combination--if the
club is winner---is broken up, I'm
der the optional agreement the minor
Lacquer has no chance to protest. He
took players with strings tied to them,
probably against his better judg-
ment, but principally because other
club owners were doing the same
thing and he had to do so in order to
build up strong team.
! With the International league
agreed as a unit to keep away from
optional agreements, no club owner
in the circuit will be in a position to
benefit by grabbing good talent off
the big league benches and thereby
putting It over" on his fellow mags.
1 That is--if the Intcrnationals live
up to their pledges.
Club owners in the American asso-
citation and the Pacific Coast league
have long been against optional
agreements, They realize that their
ball clubs may be weakened at any
time If they carry such players on
their rosters. Jimmy McGill OF the
Indianapolis Indians Is one magnate
who has been strongly opposed to
, purchasing such talent for his teams.
.. Even when he owned the Denver
Grizzlies, McGill seldom took players
with strings tied to them, and he has
always managed to keep the ball clubs
, in the running.
, Zbysxko on Warpath.
Jack Curley tells us that Wladek
|, Lbyszko is preparing to go after the
. catcf-as-catch-can wrestling sky
/ piece with teeth and toe nails. The
Pole. according to Curlcy, has nickcd
off the championships of all OF the
foreign countries at the catcl,-as-
eatch-can style, and just as soon as
Joe Stechcr announces his willingness is
to re-enter the wrestling arena,
,, Wladek is going after a match with
him.
I'm out for the championship and
bar nobody" says Zbyszko. Il will
J go to any country, any distance, to
prove my right to the title. Frank
Gotch is absolutely through, and he
has so announced, so | figure Stechcr
the logical man to seek for my first
match.
If Stechcr doesn't want to wrestlc
within reasonable length Of time I'll
take on anbody else. There's Rogers,
Hussans, Aberg, Lewis and Americus,
l Any of these will do All want to
E do is establish myself as soon as |
possibly can"
! Willard Surprised.
Jess Willard was surprised, and not
without reason, when Fred Fulton
J, topped Tom Cowler off his feet in one
:, round in their meeting in New York
Jess was frank about it, too. Said he
ITS the biggest surprise ever had
e | had no idea that Fulton was as good
9 as that | thought the match would
a go ten rounds and that Fulton woult
c manage to win it on points woule
t have bet good-sized roll on that.
e 1--WE always thought that eventu
d ally | will get on with Fulton, and
0 am satisfied now that the time |.
g coming soon. II he defeats Franl
n Moran he will be entitled to match
II though would rather wait unit
warmer weather comes so that til,
: bout can be staged out OF doors.
# Il don't like the idea OF fighting il
r stuffy hall. The big outdoors i
e the place for me, and besides it is fair
c er to the fighting public. Where ;
c match is staged indoors the promoter
k have limited amount OF space 70
= seating the crowd. They have t,
S, charge big prices to get out with
$, fair profit In an outdoor arena price
= need not be boosted to the skies ant
is think it is much fairer to the fgb
fans"
n The managers Of the sixteen BIZ
g league clubs are all named, the las
e to be installed being Jack Barry, a
l. Boston. They are as follows: 8.
d American League-Boston, Jacl
s. Barry; Chicago, Clarence Rowland
t. Detroit, Hughie Jennings; St. Louis
n, Fielder Jones; New York, Bill Dono
d van; Cleveland, Lee Fohl; Philadcl
is phia, Connie Mack; Washington
Clark Griffith.
ID National League--Chicago,y Free
k Mitchell; New York, John McGraw
d Pittsburgh, Jimmy Callahan; Brook
E. lyn, Wilbert Robinson; Boston
i. George Stallings; st. Louis, Mile
c, Huggins; Cincinnati, Christy Math
k cwson; Philadelphia, Pat Moran.
,e ,e Puts Up $1,000 Bucks to