The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-12-07
COURT OF APPEALS
.LEVERSES VERDICT
AWARDED "FEDS'
Organized Baseball Wins
$751; 900 Suit Against
Baltimore Club.
RESERVE CLAUSE LEGAL
Professional League Games
Are Held to Be Inter-
state Commerce.
Special Despatch to THE New YORK HERALD.
New York Herald Bureau.
Wnshinnfon r. q [

Special Despatch to THE NEW YORK HERALD.
New York Herald Bureau.
Washington. ID. C., Dec. O.
In q decision rendered to-day the
Court of Appeals of the District of CO.
lumbia held that the playing of profess
sional baseball is not commerce as de-
fined by the United States Supreme
Court and that baseball Is not subject 10
the antitrust law. The Court reversed
a judgmer. for s264,000 against Orga-
nizad Baseball which was granted two
years ago by q jury in the District SUI
preme Court in favor of the Baltimore
club of the erstwhile federal League.
The Court of Appeals held that the re-
serve clause of the players contract i'm
posed restrictions which relate only to
the personnel of the clubs and did not
directly affect the movements of the
Federal League clubs In interstate COM
merce Whatever effect there might
have been. the Court said. was merely
incidental and did not appear to be in
violation OF the antitrust law, even II
the Federal League had been engaged in
interstate commerce
The Baltimore club declared that the
monopol'stic" action Of Organized Base
ball as displayed in the reserve clause
of the contracts by which players were
prevented from joining other clubs with
out permission brought Organized Base
ball under the antitrust laws. since 1t
charged that baseball constituted com
merce and the playing in different cities
amounted to interstate commerce.
The IT, yer court Sustained the claim
Of the Baltimore club and the jury
awarded a verdict for $4,000. Under
the antitrust laws the verdict may be
trip'ed, and to this the trial judge added
an attorneys fee of $4,000, making the
total Judgment for S264.000.
Counsel Tor the Baltimore club will
attempt to get the case to the United
States Supreme Court for review.
Baseball men here were jubilant yes
terday when they learned of the decision
rendered by the Court OF Appeals of the
District of Columbia. which reversed the
verdict of s264.000. handed down in
1919 In favor of the Baltimore club OF
the defunct Federal League.
1t will be remembered that the stock
holders OF the Baltimore club refused to
subscribe to the peace terms made with
Organized Baseball. and sued or the
ground that they had been frozen out by
a trust The Supreme Court OF the Dis
trict of Columbia ruled that they were
entitled to damages In the sum of $780,
900. and $4,000 for lawyers fees. I'm
der the (idylOH act Tic udHitbc5 NSiC
tripled. The major leagues then carried
the case to a higher court.
John Heyder, president OF the Ma
tional Lea que, when seen at the league
yffices here, declared that the decision
was the biggest thing which yet had
happened for Organized Baseball. "The
verdict could not have come at better
time and its contents could not have
'heen of greater service to baseball" he
aaid. ITS almost too good to be true.
liere we have the first word from high
court that we are not amenable to the
Clayton &C. that baseball is not inter-
state commerce. and. above all. that the
reserve clause Is legal The court has
ruled that professional baseball is sport.
This verdict is going to prove big
boom for the game. And II is going to
leave us untramme'led in drawing up our
new national agreement That threat
ened to make trouble, but all is serene
now. Everybody knows that without the
reserve clause we could not operate The
court has appreciated that. too. and ruled
that we need the clause to enforce disci-
pine. And that's what 1t comes down 10
in the last analysts"