The New York herald., 1922-12-15

What is tantamount TO semi
the minors which refuse to reestabl
yesterday afternoon at the joint m
ie,. .g1ies at the Commodore. After .
release a player to a minor team u
ton that he will be subject to drai
International leagues, the America
Three leagues, which abandoned th
reiterated their opposition to the s
partial backdown or depend entirely
The retaliatory measure of the ma
jors against the recalcitrant minors
shared the leading position In the de-
cisions OF the day with the adoption
of the rule which will prohibit all
intra-league trades and sales. except
by the waiver route, after June 10.
However, after the adoption of the So
called rule against buying pennants
by the National League on Tuesday
its passage in the joint session, with
Judge Lands in the chair, was taken
for granted.
The move against the anti-draft
minors was the big bombshell of the
meeting and took representatives OF
the minors off their feet While the
majors did not repudiate the agree
ment which they entered into with
the insurgent minor leagues they
weakened the position Of the sub
majors to an appreciable extent. OF
course the big leagues will continue
to pay good prices for players who do
not come under their new rule, which,
by the way, is not retroactive. But the
draft resisting minors will find their
player sources and the quality Of their
baseball reduced so greatly that they
NAV face a most serious situation.
How 1t VIII Work.
The Pacific Coast League and the
American Association. which have de-
pended TO a great extent on players
sent down from the majors either for
more seasoning or because they have
outllved their. usefulness in fast COM
pany, will be particularly hard hit. Had
the new rule been in force last year
Cayeney and Pinelli, bought by the
Reds, would have been subject to the
draft. Had the rule been in force at
the close of the 1922 season Jake May
who is about to become a Yankee and
who once saw service with the Cardinals
and Sam Hale. recently purchased by
the Athletics, would have been in the
draft. Hale was sent back by Detroit.
Charley Ebbets. who is the leading
foe of the anti-draft minors, led in the
passage of the new rule. Ebbets said
that the majors were tired of sending
Young players to the minors and then
being held up for fancy prices for these
very men. LET our slogan for these
minors be, NO Draft, No Players,
clarioned the Squire OF F1atbush in a
resonant voice which rang through the
corridors of Time and the Commodore
and then the "magnates" adopted the
slogan without reservations. Thus they
instituted n little game Of freeze out
with the embattled minor leagues.
Contrary to expectation the more
powerful ciubs--the Giants and Yankees
made no fight against the adoption oi
the June Is limit for trades and sales
inside the major leagues. This rule VIII
not prevent the majors from buyina
minor Ieaguers at any time. The oiu
d role placed the limit date at August
The ban on trades and money deals
after June Is carried with II the add
tion of an extra month to the period
during which the majors may carry
forty players.
Big Help to Youngsters.
Heretofore the clubs had to cut their
rosters 10 twenty-five players by mid
night of May a. From now on they
will have until midnight on June IA 10
come down to that limit. This further
hampers the minor leagues, which are
hungry for players in the spring. and
will be a boon TO young players who
under the old order often suffered from
the fact that they were not around long
enough to get sufficient trial from big
league managers.
Taken all in all. tho session produced
quite a number of blows against the
fighting minor leagues. Some of the
clubs tried hard to put through an in
crease in the player limit from forty TO
fifty until June IS and from twenty-five
10 thirty-five after June 10. This was
beaten IN close vote by clubs after n
deadlock between the National ana
American leagues. Judge Lands voted
against the increase.
While the bigger player limit was
beaten the majors voted to increase the
number of men who may be sent down
on option from eight TO fifteen. This
was still another slam at the minors.
In announcing the decision Leslie O'Con-
nor. secretary 10 the Commissioner, said
"In view of the resolution of the Ma
tional Association, the minor league
body. against the bigger player limit
and the optional player limit the major
leagues. on the advice of Judge Lands.
decided 70 do as they pleased on this
matter and increased tho number OF
optional players 10 fifteen. A movement
70 permit man to be sent down on
option for three years instead OF two
was defeated"
Judge Lands put through a rule which
was a direct slap at Ban JOHNSON for his
recent stand in naming Chicago as the
scene OF the American League meeting
and trying TO prevent tho attendance Of
american League delegates at the joint
session already called by the Commits
sioner. IL was ruled that hereafter
whatever clubs respond TO a call for n
Joint meeting shall constitute a quorum.
Clubs may be represented by proxy.
All Meetings I'm One Place.
Next year all the baseball meetings
viii be held in Chicago. The policy
hereafter Will be 20 hold the National
and American League meetings, the
Joint session and the annual minor
league congress I'm one city on Success
sivo days. IL will be New Yorls's turn
On 1874 This v-fu do away with all