The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-08-04
DRAFT A THING OF
THE FULTz
Minor Leagues Will Not Per
nit Majors to Obtain Play
ers as in Previous Years.


Dave Fultz. president Of the Interna-
tionai League, yesterday. on behalf OF
the minor leagues, issued statement TO
the effect that under no conditions will
the minors submit to draft Of their
players by the major organizations next
fall and that so far az the minors are
concerned the draft is now a thing Of
the past. In his statement Fults re-
views the draft situation and cites the
agreement made with Garry Hermann,
on behalf Of the majors. last January
In an effort TO prove that the big leagues
by refusing TO recognise the agreement
made with the minors are simply draw
away because they realize they made q
poor bargain. The statement in full
follows;
Although the minor leagues OF pro-
fessional baseball have since their Or
ganization been the great developers of
playing talent they have never received
the financial reward which their i'm
portant position in the baseball world
would Justify. On the contrary, not a
year passes that one or more of the
clubs even in the AA classification do
not have to seek financial assistance.
This condition was unquestionably
brought about to n large extent by the
draft rule, which permitted the major
leagues to arbitrarily take from each
minor league club At the end of each
season one or more of its players at
stated prices for each classification.
From each IA club. for instance, one
player could be taken ut a price of only
S2,500, and this in spite of the fact that
the players services. II sold in the open
market. would bring not less than
$500 and possibly as high as $4,000.
ut Is easy to see that this rule was
a great hardship upon the minors and as
the majors were not compelled to take
any Of the players even at the low fig-
ure there was no corresponding advan-
tage. The only possible benefit the
minors ever got out of the arrange
ment was the promise that II they sur
rendered certain of their players their
right to the others would be recognized.
In other words, II was tribute paid to
the big fellows to gain immunity for a
portion Of their property.
Majors Oppose Changes.
'In an endeavor to lessen the burden
Of this unfair rule the minor leagues, at
a Joint meeting with the major leagues,
held at the Biltmore Hotel in New York
atty on January 16. requested a revision
upward of the draft prices, placing that
for an IA player at $500 This re.
quest Mr.. Hermann. acting for the ma
jor leagues, at once denied, and stated
that under no consideration would the
major leagues or National Commission
consent to any change in the national
agreement. He said, however. that II
the minor league clubs wished to do so
they had the consent Of the major leagues
to withdraw from the national agreement
and operate alone. This offer the minor
leagues at once accepted.
I'm arranging the detail Is was agreed
as follows: First that each faction
should respect the reservations. contracts
and territory OF the other. Second, that
all existing undlsputed Indebtedness
should be paid. Third. that a tentative
contract embodying the terms agreed
upon should be entered into az soon as
It could be drawn. Fourth, that formal
agreement should be entered into at a
later date Fifth. that the national agree
ment should remain In existence until
the formal agreement was signed.
Mr.. Hermann stated in open meet
ing in the presence of the entire minor
league delegation and many major league
club presidents, ana later TO numerous
representatives OF the press that the COM
mission had been empowered 10 act for
the major leagues in completing the ne
gotiations.
THE National Association on the fol-
lowing day drew UP tentative form of
agreement embodying the arrangements
made at the joint meeting and appointed
a committee OF six, with A. r. Tearney
Of Chicago, president of the Western
League and the I. !. I. League. as chair
man, to complete negotiations on behalf
OF the minors.
Never Signed by Majors.
Then tentative agreement was sub
mitted to the commission but was never
signed by them. Since the meeting Mr..
Tearney has made every possible effort
to arrange a conference with the COM
mission for the purpose of perfecting
the formal agreement, but the commits
sion has not been accessible.
I'VE are informed that at a recent
meeting Of the National League II voted
not to recognize any agreement made
with the minor league which did not give
them the right to draft our players. In
fact Mr.. Tearney has received a letter
from President Heydler stating that at
a meeting Of the National League club
owners II was unanimously resolved not
to enter into any formal agreement with
the minor leagues unless the right of
the major league to draft players from
the minor leagues was included.