The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1918-06-21
BY PAUL PURMAN.

For The first time since It's organi.
cation the National Commission, base.
balls court Of last resort, has been
defied
Never, since the commission was
founded, some IS years ago, when the
National and American Leagues de.
ci1o8 not to war against each other
h a magnate taken issue with the
rulings Of the body, until Connie Mack
OF Philadelphia ignored the right OF
the commission TO award the services
Of his young pitcher, Scott Perry, to
the Boston Braves, who had claimed
him.
To sustain his position Mack has
brought suit in a Cleveland court and
obtained a temporary injunction re.
sfraining the National Commission
from interfering with Perry.
In this he is sustained by Ban John.
son. president Of the American League
and the only member Of the three.man
commission who dissented in the Per
~ ruling.
There can be only two conclusion
TO the affair, which is the most seri2u
situation baseball has faced since tn.
Federal League war.
% An open break between the
American and National League which
would result in the dissolU ion Of The
National Commission, the converting
Of the ls-year.old agreement between
the two leagues into a scrap Of paper
and the abolition Of the world series.
(2D Mutual concessions on the part
~ both Mack and the Boston club by
which the matter would be amicably
settled.
one thing Is certain Mack will not
give ND Scott Perry. Although the
willy Athletic manager will not be
quoted on the matter, it is understood
thqt he has the assurance Of Ban John
son that Johnson and the American
League magnates will use every effort
TO prey ent Perry from being sent out OF
the league.
The contention IN American League
circles is that the National Commits
sion, being made up Of two repreSen
tatives from the National League and
enc from the American League, favors
he National League in question:
r'here the affairs Of the two leagues
clash.
The other members OF the commits
sion arc John X. Tener, president OF
tie National League, and Garry Herr
mona, president of the commission
and owner of the Cincinnati ball club
Perry was bought by the Boston
cab from Atlanta last year Boston
ayreoJ to pay Atlanta $500 for the
r'gHt &c give Perry a thirty-day ira
;7l $2.CO0 if he was retained longer
or Il days Perry was returned "a
.-uta. Perry did not pitch for Bos
"a and the Atlanta club had 10 apply
90 the National Commission to get it's
5000
Mack declares that the National
Coz mission, in August, 1917, ruled
that Boston he'd no cams en- The
player. In March, 1918, Atlanta sold
Gerry tc the Athletic.
II vcs not until Perry had Sol'
through the training seoc9n cld he'd
pitched winning chaTp'o~ hip games
that Manager Sta.lings c,aimsl him.
Macf'5 contention is that if sail
irgs had \ Just claim on Perry's ser
vices and really wen "a him, he should
lave filed his claim before the season
opened.
"5taMi1Cs sat in the grand stand in
~ exhibition game ct Jacksonville
4 watched Perry pitch for rs IN
rch," Mack told me. "He knew
"a Perry. but made no claim on him.
If lie watched TIE box sc1ceI ne know
th15 Terry was occupying a regular
place OF my pitching g,af early in
April. but it was not until had dcycl-
oped Perry ald he showed signs OF be-
comm. q ~c5j pitcher that Stallings
nut in his claim. ! think S;cll.nGs VS.
,~3a. ard | think the NJ .3aal Com
mi-sion ruling was unfair. ! do not
propose to give Perry up, although
there is no one in baseball who is e g
desircvs q creating a troublesome
situation"