The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-02-14
Majors Unfair to Three Friendly Glass A Leagues

LITTLE ROCK, Ark, Feb. 13.-It begins to appear that the Southern association, the Texas league and the Eastern league are cast for the roles of the innocent bystanders in the present struggle between the major and the minor leagues. It looks like the clubs in these three leagues are the ones that are going to get hurt
 The three leagues named are not parties to the present row, but that part of it apparently is being over looked by the major leagues in their efforts to impose the draft upon the minor league clubs that have not already come under the draft agree ment. The Southern, the Eastern and the Texas leagues gave the majors the right to draft players from them a year ago when the first effort was made to restore the draft. The Southern, Te-ss and the Eastern are the only leagues of as high as Class A rating that have accepted the draft and some of the owners in these three leagues are beginning to won der if they didn't make a mstaK e by not hanging with the minors in their battle for freedom from the domina tion of the big leagues. They can't see where being friendly with the majors has gotten them any where. The Class A clubs are sore at them for deserting and the ma jors apparently aren't going to show them any consideration whatever The threats made by the majors against the Class A clubs apparent ly are intended for the friendly trio of Class A leagues as well.
 Unable to Get Players
 An immediate effect of the big row between the majors and the Double As which is causing grief to the friendly A clubs Is that it is impossible at the present time for Class owner to make a play CT deal with either a major or a Class A owner. Those on both sides of the fight are holding on to all the players they have and ron't consider offers even for the sur- plus talent they have and which is badly needed by certain clubs that are not party to the controversy.
 That side of the situation proba- bly will be cleared up in time for the major clubs eventually will have to place some of their excess talent to get within the player limit of % men. If the fuss with the Double A clubs isn't settled then there ought to be lot of talent available for the lower class minors. How ever, the majors do not have to cut down their player lists to the 25 man limit until June 1. In the mean time the season of 1923 will have been considerably advanced in all leagues.
 More Serious Grief Later
 But it is likely that the real griev- ance of the three A leagues mem tioned will develop after they get players from the major leagues. It is then that the innocent bystand- CTS will begin to suffer. In their recent ultimatum to the minors the majors declared that they would send no players to minor league clubs unless 1t was agreed that the players sent down should be subject to draft by the major league clube. Now, where this rule is likely to work hardship to the leagues that are already in the draft agreement Is that 1t will restrict the Class A clubs in the matter of making sales of ball players. Under the strict
 
 likely to prevail in case the Double A clubs refuse to yield to the ma sors, which is considered likely. Class A clubs that buy players from ma jor league clubs will be barred from selling those players to any club ex- cept majors and such of the minors as are operating under the draft agreement In the past Class A bau a1a Double A teams and in some cases have made better deals than they could have made with the majors If the majors seek to enforce their ultimatum against the friendly Class A clubs they are going to impose hardship upon those clubs and make 1t appear that the majors are un- appreciative of the cooperation of the leagues that chose to work with them under the draft agreement.
 Optional Deals Not Popular
 It may be argued that the Glass A club owners might get around the situation by taking ball players. from major league clubs under option How can a minor league club make anything on an optional ball player? If he develops he goes back to the club that farmed him out and that club gets the advantage of the years training given the player by some hard working minor league manager and club owner who gets absolutely nothing for their efforts. Few minor league club owners, especially in the smaller cities, want optional ball players for that reason. It is well known. or at least it ought to be known, that the minor league owners in the smaller cities do not make