Great Falls tribune., 1921-12-25
NO RULE ON DRAFT
To ST|FLE STARS
Of MINOR LEAGUES
Small Organizations Are Look
ing Out for Own Pockets,
Says Sanborn.
By !. E. SANBORN
al corresnondent of Great Falls Tribune

Chicago. Dec. 24-Although jewelry
PLAYS a conspicuous role in professional
baseball, consistency is one jewel that
is conspicuous for its absence among
the promoters.
Take this draft proposition, in which
the average rooter is very little inter
ested. because he doesn't know what
it's all about-although in reality 1t IS
of vital interest to him, because II
means lot to the chances OF ms
favorite team in future pennant races
The minor leagues have been lighting
for years against having their players
drafted by the major leagues, yet when
it was suggested at the New. York
meetings that the big circuits refuse to
purchase players from leagues opposed
to the draft, there was immediate talk
of another BASEBALL war. -...
The Same Old Bunk
That bunk about the smaller leagues
wanting to keep their star players and
not have to see them go to the mayor
leagues, is as old as organized baseball
/ have listened to it for over thirty
years, and know both sides of il. What
the minors want is to get themselves
into a position where they can auction
off their star players to the highest
bidder each fall.
With no provision for drafting play
ers, this becomes possible, as was dem
onstrated by the sale of O'Connell of
San Francisco to the Giants for an al.
legged price of $4,000. incidentally. the
rooters can put lot of alum on those
figures before inhaling them, because
there is no place in the world where
thc dollar sign is used more recklessly
and means less than in New York.
Not Compelled TO Sell
If the San Francisco promoters were
honest in their professed desire to
make their league major league, they
did NOT have to sell O'connell for any
price. but could have retained him un-
der the rules of organized baseball unti'
they could have developed enough stars
TO rank with the big leagues in playing
strength. But that isn't the idea.
A worlds championship team in San
Francisco would be no great asset, be-
couso there is no chance--at the pres
ont cost of railroad transportation
to get into a league with the big cities
of the country.
The best assets of any minor league
clubowner, big or little, are the players
he develops, and his objections to the
draft is wholly due to his desire to
realize the greatest possible amount
from his players. Don't let anybody
tell you anything different.
Tough on the Players
Nobody particularly blames the mi.
nors. at that, but look at the players
nosition. Without a draft rule, the
greatest players of all time might be
sentenced for life to minor League
unless some major owner was willing
to risk an exOrbitant price on the
chance he was as good as he looked.
Babe Ruth might have made several
hundred home runs in a season IN
minor league without getting more than
nassing comment in the annals of the
nastime. because there always would
he the question in the minds of the
fms whether or not Ruth could deliver
in the limelight. If there never had
been any draft rules, the Tarzan OF the
diamond might never have seen ms
name in the big headlines, and might
never have had chance to defy the
high commissioner of baseball
If John Jones should pitch half
dozen no-hit games in the west Iexas
league, for instance, it would not get
his name into the baseball hall of fame
because that historic list of no-hit
games includes only feats in the high
est class Of competition, represented
by the National and American leagues
Cheaper to Buy Whole Clubs
Abolition Of the draft win merely
result in the gradual absorption Of