The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1921-12-28
DRAFT RULES HELP
PLAYERS TOCLIhIB
BASEBALL LADDER
Few Understand Opera.
ton of Pact Between
Majors and Minors.
By IRVING VAUGHAN.

BY IRVING VAUGHAN.
CHICAGO. Dec. 27.-sinee the
new major-minor pact was drawn
up and signed last January the
draft has been disturbing factor
in baseball. Five of the minor
circuits have refused TO subscribe
to the principle Of IT. In fact tho
matter has at times, and does even
now, threaten TO start a baseball
rebellion. YEP few people under
stand Just what the draft means.
how II operated and what bearing
IL has on the ball player struggling
for a place in the sun.
Briefly the draft gives a club
the right to go into leagues of
lower classification and pick off
whatever player 1t desires In the
case of Glass "A leagues only one
man can be taken from each club
and the same goes for Glass A.
The consideration to be paid for
selected players runs from $4,000
in Class IA down to $1,000 for
Glass ID.
The above indicates an ideal sys-
tenn ~ which yoaPt, players can
creep mp to the top Of their pro-
fession. In theory It is such, but
in the days prior to the Lands
regime the major clubs took ad-
vantage OF the draft to collect
players on a wholesale scale and
then ship then. out again. usually
at a proft Efforts were made to
discourage this work but rules. in
many cases. were of no avail and
IL was the continual abuse of a
privilege that brought about the
present situation in which FIVE
minor leagues-the American As
ISOLATION. Pacific Coast, Interna-
tional. Western and Three Eye
refuse to aid the majors except by
out and out purchases
Believe I'm Theory of Rule.
The draft in itself really isn't
Objectionable to the minors. The
percentage of selected players al
ways has been very small and in
cases where minor clubs have pos
sessed really great prospects the
majors bought them up before the
drafting period arrived. II a
major club wanted lad who
showed great promise good price
would be paid for him. This was
done for fear some other club
might be awarded the player II
way of doing business ALWAYS as-
sured the minors . fair break.
They would not lose a $1,000
player for a price that could run
as low as $1,000 in the case of a
Glass d club.
While the theory OF the draft.
from its inception years ago. was
the advancement of the player this
fact often was lost sight of not
only by the major owners but
by the minors as we'll For in
stance a small league club boss
might possess two or three players
of value in that particular league.
The boss usually having a friend in
the big tent would arrange with
the latter to draft the players. This
would prevent their being grabbed
by some club which could use them.
Then after a brief spell the major
would turn back the men to the
same minor. This was known as
covering up"
Major and minor chiefs also were
guilty of collision to thwart the
draft by making phoney sales. As
in a case such as mentioned above
/ minor league owner might not
want to lose his best attraction. He
would go through the formality of
| selling his stars to major.
Minors Object to Option.
Where the actual draft begins &c
bother the minor magnate is after
the player passes into the hands OF
| major club. Few drafted men
make good their first time up and
| this means they are pedlled oul
under option. The option is a two
fold obstacle for the minors.
First a major cl-b is liable. at any
time. to recall IN optioned player
to fill the place OF an injured man.
This means a minor club might he
wrecked ip mid-sesson through the
exercise of the recall. Then when
the minor magnate scouts around
for material to replace the recalled
athlete. he usually finds he can't
get help from any other minor he
cause the PLAYER he wants also is
under option and he must deal with
a major club.
The farm is another thing that
brought the draft into bad stand
ing. A major club. owning a minor
team, could steIS out and draft men
not up to big league cal;bre. These
fellows. and in most cases they
Nould De players J@St step shy
of the majors. then v<ould be turned
over to tbs farm" This always
meant that a farm was just a
bit stronger than the rest Of the
league and with the pennant almost
a cinch from the start public in
terest and the gate receipts were
affected. Thus the entire league
suffered
What the Rebel Five" minors
want now is a draft that will pre-
vent farming" and at the same
time assure a player of advancing
in keeping with his skill. This can
be done by Offering drafted men
first to class A. A. anC then TO class
A. and so on down until they are
claimed. This means a player will
] not go any lower in the list than
he belongs, and TO a certain extent
win prevent farming" Ban John
son, president of the American
League. who always has insisted the
player is the backbone of the game.
favors this plan.
Johnny Griffiths, Of Akron, Ohio
welterweight, has been matched t.
| fight Mickey Walker for twelve
rounds at the reopening of the