The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1920-10-17
Proposed Plan for Conduct
of Professional Baseball

which was devised by A. D. Lasker, Of
the Executive Committee of the Chi
cago National Neague Club, and which
is to be known as The Lasker Plan
of Reorganization"
The National Commission-baseba
supreme body-consists today of the
presidents Of the National League and
the American League. Until this year
There had always been third mem
ber-Mr. August Herman. president
OF the Cincinnati Club. For several
years there had been agitation that the
organization of the National Commits
sion was such as to prevent it's func-
tioning properly.
The reasons why it was felt that
the National Commission could not
| function properly was that two of its
members being league presidents-re-
| CARELESS of their desire for fairness
could not be. at least sub consciously,
unmindful of the special interest of the
| individual league they represented.
! And it was felt that the third mem
| Der of the Commission, who would
have the final deciding vote, should
| therefore not be a man connected with
| baseball. but one who had no owner
ship interest directly or which might
represent ownership interest.
For this reason, and because he
himself, was in full accord with the
idea, Mr.. Herman resigned from the
National Commission. but the inability
of. the two league presidents sto agree
on third man resulted in the Com
mission consisting this year of only
the two league presidents.
TIL shock which the baseball world
has just been subjected to has caused
owners to look within themselves as.
understandable, they might not look
under ordinary circumstances. Great
cataclysms bring forth great chances
and great events.
The proponents of 1.-THE Lasker Plan
of Reorganization" after careful de-
liberation, have come to the conclu-
sion that the great weaknesses of the
National Commission were:
A-Direct interest of the principals
of the Commission in matters which
came before them, as covered above
B-That the Commission, as it exist
ed, represented really the vast interest
OF major league owners only, and
failed to directly represent-because
or the nature OF its component parts
the interest of three factors, one of
which had an interest away beyond
that of major league owners, to-wit,
the public, and two of which had an
interest at least equal to that of the
major owners, to-wit, the minor lea que
owners and the players.
As basis for proposed action the
q IL
executed preliminary agreement,
reading as follows:
The undersigned members respec-
lively of the National League, Ameri-
can League of Professional Baseball
Clubs, and the National Association of
Professional Baseball Clubs, believing
that the present deplorable condition
in baseball has been brought about by
the lack of complete supervisory con-
troll Of professional baseball; and
The undersigned believing that the
only euro for such condition is by
| having at the head of baseball men lin
no wise connected with base bal) VINO
are so prominent and representative
among the American people that not q
breath of suspicion could ever be re-
Elected; and
The undersigned further believing
| that the public. as well as the owners
and players, are entitled to the fullest
measure of protection in the further
conduct and operation of the national
game;
The undersigned now agree to put
in immediate operation a plan by
which the three most prominent men
obtainable lin no wise connected with
basebalD be enlisted to act as a Su-
perior Tribunal, at whatever compen-
sation may be necessary; that such
Tribunal so constituted shall have I'M
renewable authority over presidents
of all leagues, club owners, players and
every other person. act and thing con-
nected with the national game
The practical operation of this
agreement would be the selection of