The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-04-12
All Leagues May Be Forced Put Heavy Bond This
Minor League to be Placed
Under Guarantee Bond

The National Commission is seri-
oEsly considering a plan to place all
the minor leagues under bonds to
protect the ball players in the event
of the organizations suspending be
fore the season is finished. There
were so many complaints to the COM
mission from minor league players
hast season that much of it's time dur
ing the last winter was taken up with
these cases. AS the minor leagues
are uncertain about the coming sea-
son, it was predicted by baseball men
yesterday that if the commission in
sists on clubs putting UP a bond, the
result will be a general suspension of
minor league ball throughout the
country.
The fact that the commission is
considering asking bond of $4,000
from all Class LA clubs will have an
important bearing on the new Inter
NATIONAL League, which is scheduled
to meet In New York for organization
today. There is much doubt about
starting the season any way, and II
q. 10000 security is demanded by the
commission, it is fairly certain that
ii will mean the suspension OF the
league. The league as it plans to Or
panize includes Toronto, Rochester,
baltimore, Jersey City, Syracuse
Binghamton, Buffalo, and Newark.
with a bond of $4,000 demanded from
each of these clubs to insure the sal
aries OF their players for the coming
season it is a question whether tney
would attempt to start the season on
MAY 1 as they now plan to do.
Last season the Buffalo club went
bankrupt, and the cases of the play
ers, WHIP have not yet received all
their last years salaries, are now III
the hands of the commission, while
these PLAYERS were all declared free
agents several weeks ago. The Ma
tiona1 Commission does not want
renetition of the Buffalo affair during
the coming season, and Tor TINS rea~
son deems it advisable to protect the
players from the start and save a ao'
of trouble in the future
The new International League cfuo
owners took in Syracuse and Blng-
hamton of the old New York StaNe
League on the supposition that sun
,dav baseball would be permitted next
season by the passage of the baseoaAi
measure now befone the Legislature
AS this bill has only a slight chance
of Incoming a law it would not pe
Is,,unrising If the new international
League decided not to attempt to OPP
crate. The new president of the Or
Sanitation, John H Farrell, win
strongly advise the club owners u
start the season If for no otner rea-
son than to protect the territory lrolll
invasion by other leagues.
The entry of Newark into the new
organization is problematica1 because
Ia1nes r.. Price, who was the head Oh
+be old Newark club, has Withdrawn
There is an membranes of $9,"oO OH
the old Newark organization due to
the Brooklyn club, and II new owners
+alra mo the Newark franchise, they
will also probably have to assume
this responsibility.
The National Commission proposes
that all minor leagues operating un.
der the protection of the Natlona
Agreement file bonds of graded
amornts It is planned to have
$4,000 bond from Class AA ciuos
$500 bonds from Class A CLUBS, anC
SO on down the scale, so that all tne
minor league players will be FULLY
nrotected. The minor league game
however, at best is such a ganplt
that it is not believed that the oper'
ators of the bush organizations VII
care to put up guarantees.