The Washington times., 1922-12-24

Then, In this wild spending there
are a few clubs such ~ the Giants.
Yankees and White Sox which share
In the high bidding-because they
are wealthy and can pay the high
price-while the smaller clubs are
forced to the background. That
does not constitute an even state
OF conditions and II robs the game
Of its fair play element. the thing
the American populace considers 90
essential in sport" continued Heyd-
"A chain Is no stronger than its
weakest link. A league is no strong
er than its weakest club. II a few
clubs persist In this high financ.
ing. the league will be topheavy
with few strong clubs and the
rest anaemic and weak.
CONDITIONS GROW WORSE.
Year after year the conditions
grow worse. At one time $11,0o9
was the highest price ever paid
for a big league star. In the spacr
of a few years that has increased
to 5000 With that. the sala
ries of the players have increase
and brought about unrest and dig
satisfaction by the players who
came into the leagues and those
who were in the leagues for many
years. They saw the owners pay
big money to the minors. Thai
moved them to make great de
msnds from the clubs they werc
sifned with. That caused much Of
the holding out among the stars
Of the came such as the cases Of
Roush, Groh. Schmidt ct al.
1--WE have taken our first steps
to stop all this spending. At tn"
last Joint meeting of the maJo
league clubs we imposed upon II
minors the enforcement OF the.
recognizing the draft on playei
that we returned to them from tn
majors. We do this not only &c
bring about a readjustment OF cor
ditions but to protect the plays
who Is desirous Of going as Tar
he can in his calling.
I'm the future" said Heydler
after January Is, all players SEN
back to the minors will have aH
agreement in writing that they arc
subject to draft in the five non
draft minor leagues. II they re
fuse to accept that proviso then We
will boycott them and send these
players to leagues that do subscribe
to the draft. II this league, or any
other minor league, where the draft
Is still respected, sends this player
to a league that does not have
working agreement with us, he will
still be subject tn the draft.
MINORS CAUSED m.
What moved US to pass this new
resolution was the action of the mi
nors at their last meeting at louis
VILE. We have IN agreement"
continued the National League
head, with the minors that they
signed two years ago under the
new regime Of lands that they
would agree to meet from time to
that the joint major leagues con-
sidered essential for the betterment
of baseball.
"Just before the minors went into
session, Judge Lands addressed
them and assured them that he
would see to It that the agreement
they had signed with his advent
into baseball was lived up to by the
majors. Shortly after that the mi
nors passed . resolution not b.
recognize any Of the new amend
ments of the rules committee OF
| the majors. reservations or resolu
tions for another year, when tn,
minors would again onFne together
THAT was what led US at In
| joint meeting Of the majors to pas
| the resolution forcing the player
returned to these non-draft league
to accept them subject to draft {
We would refuse to send them Z
their leagues.
"This wflI not affect any Of IN
deals" aaid Heydler,' shat wer
made prior to January Is. 1t viii no
| cover the Bentley, O'Conner
Kamm and Hale deals, for the.
were made previous to this resolu
ton.
SIT is the first step We have
taken to bring about q readtust
mont Of the inflated financial con
ditiona existink IN the majors today
thus imposine new draft rules ~
players we return 10 the mlnors
II will no doubt ultimately brfnc
about q better working agreement
with the minors and the abolition
Of this high financing, II not. w
might just a. well stop trying to
operate baseball"
eOMB BI0 PRICES.
n ono wcre 70 bslievs Implicitly
what the club owners Of both
major leagues ~, Il y estimated
that they have sxpenAed more than
u .ooo, 900 since 1850 ter untried
minor league stars,
OF this great Sum the bulk went
to the pAotfie Coast. the American
Association and the International
leagues,
The following h q hst Of players
purchased from the Pacific Coast
Continued On Pass isJ