Omaha daily bee., 1917-01-14
Judgments

idulSdl departures WHICH, II was Sdlu,
would prove winter-league sensations,
were hurled about Now that the con-
tract has been adopted, we find little
in the way of those radical departures.
The option clause and the ten-day no.
tice of release, which were parts of
the contract used three years ago, are
contained in the new contract, and the
disability clause has been entirely
eliminated. These are the changes,
and they are not new ones, except the
. disability clause, which was seldom
used anyway. Those reports that the
new contracts differed greatly from
the papers signed by player and mag
nate in previous years, and that a
Joker" had been found, proved to be
some OF that old bunk so cheaply and
promiscuously peddled in these adj
vanced days of several minute.
The reform suggestions of c. Her
cules Ebbets may not appeal partic-
ularly to large number of magnates,
but they may have to put one of his
plans in force one of these days.
Minor leagues have been protesting
ardently of late against the wholesale
drafting by major league clubs in
which an entire club is drafted, thus
giving the big fellow his choice of any
player on the minor league club This,
the minors declare, is an injustice.
Ebbets' suggested draft reform pro-
vides for draft of players by name
only. 1t also provides those clubs low |
est in the league standing have firsth
choice in the draft. The Ebbcts plan
aids the weaker major league clubs,
which are the ones that should be
helped, and it is more satisfactory to I
the minors. And the principle of the
draft-to make sure player be given |
an opportunity to reach the top of his
profession-would not be injured. It's
one Ebbets scheme that holds water
at least.
That the National board. the arbi-
tration body Of the minor leagues, is
slated for the discard and new ju-
dicial committee closely collateral
with the National commission will
takes its place is the belief Of many
of the base ball prophets. Since Al
Tearney, the Moses of the minors,
started his agitation for reform the
National commission has been lend
ing something of a sympathetic ear.
And the belief is that the commission
has sufficiently seen the light to pay
a little attention to the bushers in the
future. The present system is unsat-
isfactory, that is certain. The aboli-
ton of the National board for new
organization which would sit in coun-
Gil on grave matters with the COM
mission probably would be great
improvement 1t might not be the
solution to the problem of ruling the
minors, but it would be better than
the present system.
Another scheme to fake away the
advantage the pitcher has over the
batter is suggested by Jack Doyle,
veteran player and now an umpire
in the Pacific Coast league. He sug- {
gests the batter be given the option |
Of taking an intentional base on balls
or remaining at the plate. Doyle's d.
suggestion doesn't strike us as re- .
medal. In the first place the bat ;
ter is more than likely to accept the ;
base. Such an occasion arises only +.
in pinch and the batter would much !
prefer to accept the free transporta- i,
ton than take a chance on wallop- ..
ing the ball, for, if he should fail to ;
connect, upon his head all the abuse !
would fall. The intentional pass may !;
not be a good thing, but the only !
way to eliminate it is to penalize the .
hurler. It's more hitting that is the
crying need and elimination of the in 7
territorial pass will not aid it. =
Making the plea OF sport for c
sports sake" the United States Golf t
association has put up the amateur r
bars. Sport for sports sake" is a q
beautiful ideal, but it doesn't extend +
very far in any branch Of sport ex- il
cept in interscholastic and intercol v
legiate circles. Base ball players, S
professional and sandlotters alike,
play not only for love Of the game, a
but for what there is in it. Trap. v
shoots are in ninety-nlne cases out OF O
100 money events. Golfers, in order \
to arouse sufficient enthusiasm, have
to wager a ball hole or something O
like that. It's the same way with O
swimming, tennis, running and auc- |
ton bridge. Whether the golf asso- h
cations ruling proves to be an in a
justice to a few individuals or wheth- b
err it will really be boon for sport S
for sports sake remains to be seen. h
The new owners of the Boston Red IL
Sox, in company with Jack Barry, the a
newly appointed manager, are likely a
to encounter few hazards when they o
attempt to coax the world champion "
athletes into signing 1917 contracts. h
With three or four exceptions, all OF h
the champs will draw new contracts
this spring, and a champion athlete is h
likely to have some exalted ideas Of 81
his own worth. Unless Frazee and his u
partners buy one of the United States h
minis and turn its entire output over
to the team, it may take some time to
get those precious signatures along I,
that we'll known dotted line. b
The new owners of the Boston Red "
Sox made a judicious move when n
they appointed Black Jack Barry a
manager of the club. Frazee and his in
partners got off on the wrong loot in o
beantown, which is very touchy d
village and easily peeved when they Il
appointed a Chicago man secretary o
instead of the popular Eddie Riley,
and when they failed to sign Bill Car s.
rigan up again. But Barry is popu- |
lar in Boston, as popular even as tt
rA.u: al H. Laan+nurr, fans ,uil1 a