The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-01-09
SPRING GAMES
ARE HANDICAP
TO ATTENDANCE
ST. Louis Clubs Decide Its Bad
Policy to Reveal Their Com
paratiVe Strengths.
by John b. FOSTER.

(Copyright, 1922, By The Argus.)
New York, Jan. 9.-Announce-
ment just made that there Will not
be a spring series in 1922 between
the St Louis clubs, of the rival
major organizations, is bound TO
have its effect upon other series OF
a like character that may be con-
templatod
For a long time there has been
a very well concealed but stub
born fight made against such series
by owners of baseball teams that
have refrained from similar exhI-
billions. 1t has been one of the few
fights in baseball which has not re-
suited in acrimonious public con-
tention. The motive for the owners
opposing these exhibitions series
has its inspiration in money.
1t has been urged. and now and
then with good reason, that playing
such a series beggared the city for
the opening series of the regular
schedule and that the defeated nine
suffered at the gate when the reg
ular season began, bringing on "A
series of impOverishment tor the
visiting teams as we'll as the local.
A spring series, it has also been
asserted, takes off the edge of the
appetite5 of the patrons for the
opening days IN the regular sched
ule. For instance if the St. Louis
Americans defeated the St. Louis
Nationals, these of the city who
had a leaning toward the st. Louis
Nationals acquired cold feet and de-
serted their club. If the inter-city
games were close and well patron
lied the regular season games OF
following week were not well pat
ronized.
No one knows how far this new
departure OF the st. Louis clubs
may go but if it extends to every
major league club that has been
addicted to the spring series habit
there are some owners who will
quietly celebrate by holding little
harvest home dance of their own.
The St Louis clubs have not told
why they have come to this decision
after holding SO long. Spare them
their business. Its easy enough to
read. There are two st. Louis clubs
each of which thinks that it has 4
chance to win the championship III
its owl league this year and If they
should play . spring series it is OuF
of reason to imagine they would tic
it, and it would be suicide to cook
up quarrel To put an end to it. s
the best way is not to play at al
n and keep the fans guessing.
MI Fourteen other clubs, however
" had better realize that the CARD:
ana the Browns have daube1 o.
their war paint and have announced
indirectly that they are out foI
scalpS.
a plan to increase the draft
price of class AA players to $500
has been formulated by the presi-
dents of the major leagues, the
presidents of the American associa-
ton. International league and Com
missioner Lands. The class IA
leagues are to consider it and Their
decide whether they will agree t.
The draft Which simply means tina
for an added $500. $500 dollars
instead of $4,000. ball players
years of service are to be sold into
perpetCity by either of the class A A
leagues TO either of the major
leagues. That's all there is to it.
OF course recognition OF the
draft says that 16 class "A bal
players of two leagues each year
may advance" in their calling
How about the rights of the 2S4 OF
twice that number who may be left
behind? They might have beer
chosen but the fact that they were
not leaves them tied as tightly as
they were before the draft was
agreed upon.
The fact is that the draft "a only
about per cent relief for a condi-
ton which holds several hundred
Young and middle aged athletes il
a state of seryitude from the time
that baseball contract is signed
and furthermore the draft merely
transfers that condition from one
organization. II is not the draft
whether it be allowed or disallowed
which holds the ball player in
check 1t is the results, and the
commissioner of baseball seemingly
is well aware of that fact in his
effort to get the draft through in
order that there may be a
semblance of freedom in the restric-
tons which organized baseball
must enforce against a PLAYER
whether he is the lowliest outfielder
in the humblest of circuits, or Babe
Ruth.