The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1921-12-05
MINOR LEAGUES to-
HAVE BIG CONFAB
AT BUFFALO, N. Y.
Many Delegates to Flock to
Annual Meet-Big Bust
ness Ahead
By GEORGE CHADMICK
Special Correspondent of The Age-Herald
Copyright, 1921, by The Age-Herald)

baseball men will come together in
this city early next week for the an
nual meeting of the minor leagues,
otherwise known by the grandilo-
quent title of National Association
of Professional Baseball Clubs, than
have been assembled in baseball con-
ference these many days.
For two weeks and more fences
have been building all over the United
States prior to this meeting. Some
baseball owners are politicians. AL
most all of them think they are, a
trait in which they resemble con-
gressmen.
The principal issue at stake in the
minor leagues, and the main one at
this meeting, is the draft. Back of
the draft is the consideration of hard
cash. Shining silver dollars and crisp
greenbacks and the asset for which
these dollars must stand, is human
being known as ball player.
There are club owners in the mi
nors who deal in the services of hui
mans exactly as ranchers out west
deal in steers. There are 20 men at
least who engage in minor league ball
solely because they expect to make
ten strikes in young fellows whom
they pick up to play ball and whose
services they later sell at highest
competitive price to club owners
gambling to win championships.
There are minor league clubs which
favor the draft and others which OPP
pose 1t. Those against 1t have been
active during the last month and they
are coming to Buffalo to strengthen
their organization.
1t should not be understood by the
novice in baseball law that all play
ers on minor league club may be
drafted Only one can be taken In
that manner. Naturally the player
drafted is the best man on the team,
unless his services have been sold
before the draft has had a chance to
operate.
The career of a player may be
something like this: Tommy Johnson
signs contract with a Glass d club.
In his first year he Shows a little"
and is drafted by Glass A club. If
he is not sold outside of the draft,
which means that his owner had ar
ranged for private transfer for a
cash consideration, a major league
club may draft him another year. All
this time the player has been draw
Ing about $50 a month in Glass D, and
perhaps $500 to SIPS month as he
moves up. In Glass A he would get
more, though no princely sum. If a
major league club drafts him he will
be signed at between $1,000 and
$1,000. If he gives unusual promise
he may be started at higher figure.
The big league club may not want
him the next year after the draft be-
cause he lacks experience, so he is
sent back to the minors, but rarely
ever to his old team. He may stay
with the new minor team a season.
He is still not quite right for faster
company, and he goes to another
minor team for another year. If he
doesn't like what he gets he can quit
playing professional ball, but If he
does he is placed on the ineligible
list
After being sent out of the minors
two or three times the youngster
finally sticks in the majors and usual
ly stays through until he is worn out.
Then he goes back to the minors to
end his playing days. If he stays in
the majors 10 years or more, and none
of the big leagues want him. he must
be given his unconditional release,
making him master of his own future
for the first time.
The draft rule makes it imperative
that at least one player on every
minor league club is eligible to get
a better job the next season. With
out the draft rule all minor league
players are at the mercy of the own
ers of their clubs, to be kept or sold
at their pleasure.
The major leagues favor the draft.
They are animated more by a selfish
desire to keep themselves strictly
within the law than by any glowing
love for the down trodden ball play
er. It doesn't sound good in a re-
public for it to be said that a ball
player is bound to his master for
life"
The Pacific Coast league owners
oppose the universal draft for a diff
ferent reason than some of the other
minor leagues magnates. They feel
that their league is growing so strong
that one of these days it will rate as
a major league. They even look for
ward to the day when they will en-
gage the National and American
league champions in the world series.
Therefore, they do not want DO let
any of their good ball players escape
to the east This ambition of organi-
cations out in California and oregon
aligns the Pacific Coasters with the
nom draft faction and with their sup
port this faction believes it can
swing things its own way.
The financial issue in the matter is
very clear. If minor league can
keep all of its players out of the
draft, it's owners have chance to sell
them in a competitive market for
much more than the nominal draft
price.