The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-03-13
.HEYDLER TALKS
ABOUT HOLDOUTS
None i'll Big Leagues
at Present Time,
He Says
BY BOB noRMAN

~ wv SSR"SHN
NEW YORK, March 1s.-'Therc
are no holdouts in either league at
present" says John Heydler, head
Of the National League.
Rather a strange statement, yet
President Heydler means every
word of It.
mot until the bell rings, and a
player has failed to report can he
be Chased as a holdout." continued
President Heydler.
TOO much Is made OF tho so.
called hollour.
MANY players who are dubbed
holdouts are merely lax in answer.
ing their correspondence.
"other players are away from
home, hunting or fishing, and fail
to get the contract promptly.
"As for the fellow who asks for
Ia change III thu contract submitted
TO him for his signature, why
should so much ado be made about
It?
BAL players are no different
from anyone else. They have their
services for sale, the same as 4
lawyer.
"They have the samo right to
put value on their work and to
bargain with their employers In
order to obtain that price.
''Ln any business the man whose
salary demands are unreasonable
win soon find himself out OF Job.
That goes for baseball. Some
players have an exaggerated idea
of the profits made in baseball.
ANY club owner will tell you
that the profits Of the last two
years, which have been the banner
years OF baseball, have not wiped
out the deficits incurred from 1919
to 1919.
"As for admission prices, little
thought will convince anyone that
they are eminently fair. as COM
pared with that of other amuse-
ment enterprises.
Regarding the outlook for the
present season am through maxi
ing predictions. They're tho bunk.
I would have to issue q favorable
statement no matter what /
thought.
II am hoping that baseball will
not suffer as a result Of business
conditions as they now exist.
ut seems that all over amusc,
ments have felt the pinch. Base,
ball Is peculiar however, 1t seems
to weather a financial crisis bet
ter than any other amusement en-
terDrise.
Baseball Is played under ideal
weatke. conditions most OF the
season, That Is Que OF its best as
sets In wcathering a tight money
market.
Every one likes to get out in
the open. A bHll game affords such
opportunity, incidentally one gets
tho thrills that are furnished by
the great national pastime.
For that reason, no matter how
low ones finances are, they man
age to dip up enough to enable
them TO gain admission to the ball
park.
Picking a winner in the Ma
tlonal League is beyond ME. Per-
haps ! have a pretty definite opin-
ion, but I am not going to express
It. That wouldn't be- diplomatic.
Il might say, however, that the
New York Giants won tho remnant
and worlds series last year. The
Giants are certainly no weaker.
Heine Groh at third gives the
team additional power.
There are seven other clubs in
the National League. however, and
l am not merely handing out fiat
terry when l say that / believe each
and every one Is stronger than It
was last season.
"St. Louis has a great team. 1t
was going better than any club in
the league at the close Of the 1921
campaign. Gibson is sure to have
the Pittsburgh team up there.
II look for keGn competition and
a great race"