San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-02-25
.HOLDOUTS
HOLD OUT
FOR HOOCF
That's the Latest Solutio,
Offered for Unsigned
Hordes.
OBJECT TO CLAUSE
Contracts Offered Stipulat
Tall Fines for Break
ing Rules.
OBJECT TO CLAUSE
Rx JOHN r. FOSTER.

Copyright. by The San Antonio Lish
New York. Feb. A.--Not in a
the history of baseball have so man
contracts been sent to playerSsSs
clubs that finished high with clause
written into the documents providin
for ample punishment if said player
do not live up to the rules of tn
club. f.
And it was learned positively toda
that, indirectly, Mr.. Volstead, and
directly, the bootleggers, are the caus
of it all.
"Yes," said major league owne
to the writer today, "there isn't an
use quibbling over words. Bottles
gers cause it all. As soon as a tear
gets into a city that isn't the HON
town, the players find lurking abou
the lobby a lot of chaps who thin
the home folks will think lot NOR
of them if they are seen hobnobbin
with the baseball players, and tn I
worst Of IL is that most of these fe
lows have ready access to hootch i
seemingly unlimited quantities.
Lure Innocent Ball Tossers.
"These parasites tell the player
with a great show of secrecy thai
they know where the best in alcohol /
lines can be had and that one add
tional player can be let in on thI
deal. So much mystery is woven int
the affair that the players think theI
are bigger than a visiting political
and therefore they fall hard for tn |
invitation. The result is that evei
the player who would think twice BID
fore taking a mediocre glass of bee|
in some secluded spot far away fro1|
the managerial eye will follow TIL
tempter and imbibe what is ten Il
one drink that is wildfire at i'll
best and a regular oil tank blaze Il
an athlete who is taking violent exer|
else every afternoon.
"Of course, we all know that al
excess of alcohol is never best for al
athlete, but the present liquid law
that is served here and there TO bal
players has nearly wrecked some d
our best and most expensive baseball
stomachs."
Il. New "Hootch, Clause.
1t Is well known that a team wen
to pieces two years ago because TIL
BldNOlb ~ cOOluc
with aniline dye varnish, and xss|
year some of the managers had many
many troubles with a thirst thai
couldn't be stopped. Therefore and
ergo, one Of the reasons why therI
has been some mighty pert and tart
correspondence between some club of
ficials and some players regarding TIL
signing Of contracts has been because
OF the newly-thought-up "hootc1
clause" In the contract.
1t was rumored that Ruth wal
fined $4,000 (which would have left
him only $4,000 for breaking clut
rules in one year. The amount
rumor says today, has been cut q
$4,000, but the rumor sounds fairll
good even at the reduction. II som
ball players we might mention wer
fined $4,000 for breaking club rule
relating to keeping in training, the!
would owe the club somewhere be
tween $4,000 and $4,000 at the en-,
of the season and that is why som
of the players who are today hold
/ ing out on signing their contracts ar
baking at putting their John Han
cocks on the dotted line when the.
know that to do so will be TO sig
in advance their own fines il the.
don't observe one of the most import
ant rules against breaking training