The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-01-30
WAR IN RANKS
OF GAME NOT
EASY TOSTART
HeydIer Sees No Trouble Between
Minors and Majors Over the
Draft Question.
By JOHN B. FOSTER.

Copyright, 1922. by The Argus.)
New York, Jan. 30-No war is
possible in baseball. it became es-
tablished today, until some baseball
club takes away a player from an
other club without observing all
the technicalities or until an inva-
sion of. territorial rights Of club
without first saying by your
leave"
Even then, there might be long
wait before hostilities actually be-
gin. How much time it might take
to establish thoroughly new
league is as uncertain as the stock
market. 1t might make a "go" and
it might get nowhere.
There would be little trouble to
get players to lend a willing ear.
Whether they could actually be
lured is another question. There
are players who are dissatisfied
with their lots, but there always
have been.
President Heydler of the National
league is an optimist and sees no
war in sight no matter what may
happen in this present inability to
bring about uniform opinion be-
tween the major and minor leagues
1t is a very sound attitude to take.
The minors have not made any
threats. They simply ask to be let
alone to handle the player ques-
ton in their own way.
In the first year of the plan for
reorganized baseball the clubs in
AA leagues profess to have learned
that they can operate better under
the new method than they did un-
der the old. The Pacific Coast
league admittedly is thousands OF
dollars better off than it would
have been if there had been a draft
law, because with the draft law
their best players would have had
to have been disposed of before the
draft period arrived or be subject
to loss by CONSUMPTION by the ma
jor leagues. No one can wonder.
therefore, that the Pacific Coast
league is not crazy to go back TO
old conditions. at once.
In the International league, the
Baltimore club has been held IN
tact. 1t would not have been If
there had been draft in effect
from the five major league clubs
that would have put in a draft for
one of the Baltimore players, and
Dunn would have lost either Bent
ley or Ogden for the draft price
Coiointly they represent at least
$50 900 worth of ball players, as
ball PLAYERS have been going, and
one of them would have brought
only $4,000 if the draft had been in
effect The American association
has 90 players who would have
been drafted. Only eight of them
could have been selected, but one
of the eight would have been Shin
uers of Indianapolis. for whom the
New York Nationals are said 10
have tossed $4,000 on the table in
one way and another. Whether they
did or they did not. they undoubt-
edly paid handsomely, and Indian
apoIis is much better off than it
would have been under the draft
law. and Indianapolis is smart
enough to know it.
Were the draft in effect it would
make but little difference to the
leading clubs in the major leagues
Under the new method the tall-end
clubs would have first choice, and
if there were any really desirable
players to be had. who were needed
by the wabbly leaders, the latter
would have to get into the market
with attractive offers and take
them away before the drafting sea-
son began. And if you want to
know it. there are some leading
major clubs which realize that very
fact and which are not so "goShs
almighty" particular where there is
a draft or is not.