The Washington times., 1920-07-17


They have induced players they
want to break contracts and that Is
about the most serious offense pro-
fessional baseball player can be guilty
of excepting selling or throwing
games.
In fact a contract jumper is just as
crook ed in the opinion of some base
ball men as one who sells games or
tries to. The punishment should be
the same, too, as for the greatest
offense. and that is the permanent
blac cklisting of the guilty.
Baseball has no use for either class
Of offenders and never will have. The
pastime is we'll rid of all players who
are not absolutely on the level in
their baseball transactions on or off
the field.
MANAGERS ALSO GUILTY.
Those m gers of industrial
leagues who induce players to jump
their contracts are fully as guilty as
the players who hurdle. Both are a
disgrace to the game and should be
marked men. No doubt a record is
being kept of the guilty ones and
they will be permanently barred from,
organized baseball. A Ave years gus
tain jumping players by the American
Association and the Pacific Coast
League Is not severe enough as a PEN
atty.
1t is reported that the former or
ganization. or certain clubs in it, of
fered the deserting players immunity
IL they would return. IL that is so,
a great mistake was made. Such ac-
ton will do injury to the good name
of baseball.
The management of the industrial
leagues. who have done the raiding,
re in the majority of cases looking
out for their personal interests for
the time being. They are the ones
who are benefited the most and prob
ably derive all the profits from gate
receipts. / doubt IL the plants get a
cent. and what little advertising they
secure is not of much value.
I imagine that the officials OF the
plants are not aware of the illegiti-
mate business methods used by the
managers of their baseball clubs in
securing the jumping players. Surely
they would not stand for any such
underhand methods in conducting
their own business affairs.
have the idea, too, that there Is
much money wagered on the games
played by the teams of rival plants
and that IT is for this reason that
such unfair methods are pursued by
the managers in getting players.
PRACTICE HURTS GAME.
The unjustness of the methods fol-
lowed by the INSCRIPTIONS managers
is bringing the national game into
disrepute and should be stopped, even
rnntiirad RI q n
plish this. No man who has the wei.
fare of baseball at heart will sanction
such scheming, and no doubt there are
many true blue lovers of the sport
who are high officials of the indus
trial plants that are being corrupted
in name and reputation by over-zeal-
Gus managers.
No contract jumper was ever hon
est in heart. and he would be. and
should be, under suspicion in every
game he participated in. People who
wager on any contests such players
take part in are foolhardy
The experience of Sam Berlin. own.
er of the Charleston Is. c. club OF
the sally" League (South Atlantic)
who attended the recent Yankee.
Tigers series at the Polo Grounds, is
an illustration OF how seriously minor
league clubs have been affected by
the raiding of Industrial leagues
managers.
owner Berlin is in New York in an
endeavor to strengthen his team that
has been so depleted that he has been
obliged to play four of his pitchers in
the in and out fields. That was the
shape his team was in when he left
Charleston. He announced that tbs
other clubs in the Sally League are
Just as bad of. But he was man
enough to say that not one OF the
contract jumpers would ever get back
into his club.
I think u the minor leagues would
resume business relations with the