Evening star., 1921-12-05

Although not every club in organ
sented at this meeting, every league
IS thus represented. including the
heads of the two major organizations
Minor league leaders collectively
think they have much to discuss over
their teacups. They do not agree as
TO the policy to be pursued. partlcu-
1arly toward the draft. and in that re
spect they are exactly Whefe ,;nnr ineS
were when the organization OF minor
leagues was perfected in New York
some years back.
Minors Feel Independent.
An uumistakable feeling of inde-
pendence on the part of the leadlns
minor league organizations IS eVi-
dent. They have gone for year
without the draft. Some say that II
las hurt them, while others lnsist
that it has not hurt them, but, on the
contrary, has done them good. an"
Iy another year the beginning al
ready made win make them more
seE-sustaining than they nave ever
Deen, and capable of existence WIN
cut patronage from the major
leagues.
They do not say that they may
become major leagues. but there Is
note in their conversation that IS more
triumphant than it was in the pas.
players and develop them and we
will get ours and develop them Is
the new cry which is not the cnlrp
of the modest Wren that was wont III
times past to feed on the fragments
that the eagle dropped.
leagues why should they draft from
us?" is question that was strongly
lut by a class IA owner. They say
that the draft should be enforced TO
let the player go up in his profession,
but hasn't Louisville. Milwaukee. ST.
Paul or Kansas City as much right on
the base ball map as New York: W ny
should our teams be deSpolled by
bunch of promoters who set then-
selves together and arbitrarily say
Give way and give up TO US Ley
them dig up resources as we DO ano
provide their own ball players. II
they develop youngsters they keep
Them until they are worn out. why
is 1t any more wrong for US to do SO.
Plainly enough. there are some
minor league owners who feel that in
time they may become majors as
much as any one else.
"Limits" Never Observed.
Another element in the minors has
come to Buffalo to preach and ad-
vocate economy. That policy began
The first year that the first minor
league ever was organized. Salary
.,
limits have been urged and recon-
mended, since the year that the Amer
lean Association decided that 1t was
big enough to break away from the
majors, and just as often as the local
club has thought an emergency has
arisen or has considered 1t to be es-
sential to pay Bill Smith IS extra
and free house rent for winning the
pennant all limitations and agree
ments have been tumbled into the
discard.
To be a good old sport in base ball
and at the same time to be an un-
yielding tightwad is a part that has
been played successfully by only two
or three men since the national game
appealed to the national pocketbook.
Mike Sexton. who is president of
the National Association. says the
minor leagues must economize and
probably there isn't one of them who
doesn't know 1t, but II a few dollars
stand between friends and the pen
nant what will the neighbors say if
the dollars are permitted to stick
tight to the inside of a long, limp
ieathered pocketbook. while the pen
uant goes to the towns bitterest
rival?