Evening star., 1921-12-08

Tbere,n lies the message from the
commissioner of base ball. ana as the
commissioner has given open grace
Al, To read between the lines. it
snnsars that no more pointed or more
dafinite hint ever was given from man
,o men that 1t will be to the vital
interest of the minor leagues in par
,ioular and base ball in general 10
see that the base ball player is given
some right to advance along the line
of gradual, but certain, promotion
from the ranks of the lowly to the
ranks of the lofty. It may be. called
the draft, it may be called the fitness
of selection. or it may be called plain
promotion. Sut 1T is evident that it
bind any ball player to lifetime servi-
tude with single ball club.
Game still on Trial.
tn all those leagues which have
fought the principle of the draft in
base ball Commissioner Landis made
definite appeal.
Base bali" said the commissioner.
"is still on trial. and will continue on
trial so long as base ball is played
Be not overoptimistic over a return
to those conditions which are the
most fitting that should surround a
great national sport There is still
much to be done, and the vigil must
never be relaxed. Base ball serves a
great public function. but it has got
to be right all of the time-abSolute
fairness. absolute cleanliness and alb
solute fidelity. What comes out will
not hurt this great game of base. ball
if it is maintained pure and whole
some" q
The waiver. the transfer of PLAYERS
and one or two other matters were
touched upon by the commissioner
Not that such things as 1 have de-
scribed have occurred. but that they
might occur" he explained. Where
upon club owners looked at.each other
with the most profound astonishment
Before this address President
Robertson of Buffalo paved the way
10 his better enjoyment of the meal
by stating that Buffalo is to have an
entirely new and up-to-date grand
stand.
The New York Americans will train
, for nearly a month in New Orleans
playing games with New Orleans,
Brooklyn and other major league
clubs and adhering to a strict diet of
praIines.
Ruth can train with the Yankees;
there is naught in his suspension
which forbids the team from having
him work as hard as he pleaSes prior
to commencement of the main show.
So said Judge Lands.
Cards and Pirates Farley.
ST. Louis and Pittsburgh engaged
in conversation re.ative to a transfer
of players. st. Louis was partial to
most of the Pittsburgh club and
George Gibson got so alarmed that he
ran out and left the conference fat.
They've taken the lid off the sky"
said Gibson. I'm scared to get next
to anybody unless I've got a million
dollars in my pocket and came away
from home and forgot my pocket
book"
Perhaps 1t was the presence of Judge
Lands in Buffalo that gave player
valuations such a tremendous boost.
Where are the base ball owners of
old who are wont to let their players
go for $500 and the possible good will
of some major league club? Had they
lived to see these days they would
have collapsed with apoplexy when
it was sincerely and candidly stated
that the New York base ball club had
agreed to pay the San Francisco base
ball club $4,000 for a ball player by
name of O'Connell. who is not to re-
port until 1923.
Detroit paid $4,000 for two pitchers,
PiIlette and johnson of Portland, Ore,
and threw in eight ball players to bind
the bargain. Once Barney Dreyfuss
paid $22, 900 for one pitcher, and when
he heard what Frank Navin Of Detroit
had hsthS done he said Give him my SYM
Options Pertufb Minors.
National Association members are
perturbed somewhat about the DISPOSE
tion on the part of the major leagues
to exceed the permitted eight players
who may be put out to the smaller clubs
by optional agreement. Last year the
majors, because they had invested a
great deal of money in young ball play
ers, were granted permission to exceed
eight.
1t is saddening to the minor leagues.
There is no doubt about it. There is
another side to it. The minor league
should see the humor of the thing and
let any major league club that Is foolish
enough to hitch up to a large number
of ball players take care of them itself.
II the major league club had to pay
salaries to them there would be lots of
promising youngsters looking for some-
thing to do before you could say scat
to cat.
Copyright, 1921