The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1921-12-06

Baseball politics leap back INTO tAe
lmelight today. with the minor leaGu's
in session at buffalo. RI" r"pr"s'hta'
t:veS OF every one OF the small leagues
the supreme head % baseball, judge
Lands, and many OF M" major officials
are at Buffalo for the iirSt of the CON
ferenCes Of the winter which must lie
eide some Of the bigger problems OF tn
game.
The big battle Of the minors is Ger,
tain to come over the drafting rules and
4 looks now as If the major l"tSucS
Will stand aside and dos large thinking
part while the minor struggle to "NlrI-
cate themselves from the situation into
which the msistence Of the larger min
ORR upon Independence and freedom from
the draft has plunged them.
The Situa tion which seemed so SIM
pie OF solution has become complicated,
The players Of the class IA teams are
the disturbing element just now. Pla%-
crS vino for generations have argue
against IN" draft are screaming with
agony. claiming that the action OF the
big minor leagues III refusing 10 sub
scribe !" the drafting rules has blockci
the progress OF players ard prevented
them from advancing in the profession
Oddly enough the complaint comes
from players who probably are getting
more SALARY IN the minor leagues than
would he paid them in tn" majors. az
least for n year or twO. II is a sign
tl nope li'sl NIfN ready HIt "illI''NA"u7
- advance IA III" business even .n
they could C"t more money for playing
with certain minor clubs.
There have been instances in the past
Of players Of great merit held in the
minors for many years. proving that the
drafting rules. Tho most fragrant. per
hapS. was that of Jack Mccarthy, ono
Of the finest uutleldcrS and hittcrs IN
the history Of tn" sport who was he'd
10Y nearly ten years at indianapolis
when almost Rpv club In the National
league wanted him. Each "nrinS TIE
Cincinnati club. which owned tho In.
~dianarolis club. recalled him and then
sent him hack to Indianapolis. Six 81
his best playing years were spent In
out to join ~" Chicago Cubs his best
DAYS were over.
1t was such cases that madc ulavHrs
disSatisficd-hut In this new dcvrlon-
ment II seems rs II they have jumped
from the FRYING nan into he FIR" There
are signs of q big reNul"'On OF feeling
among the minors oNer tie draft ideas.
The majority. the small"~ %'"aEneS. seem
firm for Il now draft!n" agreement.
modified perhaps. and thcr" is even a
division OF opinion among the class IA
club owners as Ia the draft.
II looks as IL II would be a merry
meeting. at any rate.
1anClh may buh1o Up nuBG JAIL
Following the meeting Of the minors
comes the hig gathering in New iO"f.
when tn" American and National will
mold their first session. IL looks peace
ful now and the majors seem to nave
few difficulties to iron our However.
there Is a firm belief that Judge Lands
will shake tho C~OmplaCen"y Of the club
owners when ch makes his rrCumncnda-
lions 10 them.
ri {,l,y. bny 1n,,,.l n 1nf lhnnt
baseball IN his term OF office. and he
has earned a great deal more about
club owners and about players than he
knew before. cspeCilly about owners.
without trying to tip off the judge,
we can assure him that one Of his big
reforms Of the year which seemed To
have been surCessful. is quite n iofe
among some Of tn" owners Perhaps
he knows II. If SO. developments are
In ordes.
LaIayetto's Stop Forward
Lafayette has taken a step which. II
nil the schools in the country Will fol.
low, Will clean and keep clean the game
~ football and which will make for tho
best and finest sport We ever have
known.
Lafayette. more than any other school
nj the country this fan. has been
charged with professionalism. 1t had
a graduate coach who is a newspaper
man of wide experience and who Is con-
sidcrahly hard-boiled besides having ex-
pcricucc. He assembled a team which
would have beaten almost any team in
America.
Without troubling about details. II 10
n rinch that he had the most cNperi-
cnCcd team in any college. His tear
averaged in age probably two years
above the average age OfIthc players
on Yale. Harvard or Princeton. There
Is no rEume that the average "a
yenr-old man can heat the averag" 90
year-old man playing any athletic game.
The history OF the Lafayette players
showed that they had more age and
more experience in prep and rnlleE" foot
pail than any team IN the country II
was n great team regardless ~ whether
II hal lived UP to the letter Of thu" law
in athletic rules. ] know a great many
OF the boys on tho Lafayette team. and
a cleaner. more decent bunch never en-
listed. But tina. is beside the point. The
big point IL that Lafayette has had tho
courage TO demand an open and abso-
Lutte inquiry as to the status of players.
II Lafayette is found guilty Of pro-
f~essionalism. then practically every col
lege in America Is guilty OF the same