, 1923-04-22
OPINIONS DIFFER
over BOYCOTT BY
MAJOR LEAGUES
Will 0bstruct Advance
ment of Youngsters.
BY 1. E.

Considerable difference OF opinion ex-
lists among those in the baseball world
who ought to know about the effect
the strained relations between the
major leagues and certain minor cir.
cults will have on the development Of
new playing talent this
To refresh tho memories Of fans who
dc not tax their hin tanks with the
games" played by the club owners
during the winter. 1t may be explained
briefly that tho season Just lnaugurated
is going to test the virtual boycott In
stituted by the major leagues against
the Eve minors who refuse to allow
players TO be drafted from their teams
This boycott consists OF a rule prevent
ing National or American league clubs
from releasing to the American asso-
citation. Pacific Coast. International.
Western. or Three Eyes leagues any
surplus player unless the club to which
such player may he released consents
to having that player drafted a into
fast company next fall IL he is needed
or wanted. The Ave minor circuits af-
footed by tho boycott have refused to
permit their club owners to accept
players under those conditions.
Handicap to Recruits.
One immediate effect, OF course, is
going to be the retention by the boy
cottod minor leagues OF a greater per-
centage than before OF tho recruit
they have picked up from smaller
leagues or from tho open lots. In pre-
vious springs the of these
circuits have depended largely on I'LL
ing vacancies and plugging up weak
spots by means OF players not quite
ripe for the big leagues who have been
fRrmed out for further seasoning under
the so-called option agreement.
with this supply of talent from high
er up suddenly cut of these managers
will have to Gull out their own crop
Of youngsters to complete their outfits
this year. That ought TO Increase the
supply of new talent, according to some
diamond sages. Others argue hat 1t
will maxi no appreciable difference,
because n %youngster who Is any good
at all is bound to find a berth some
where and continue to develop his
ability.
II Milwaukee needs an inhelder and,
because II can't get one from the major
leagues on account OF the boycott. de-
cidcs to keep John Smith. who was
picked out OF the semi-pro ranks. II
does not follow hat John will be any
better as an inhelder next September
than he would have been IL h NIL
waukee team had planted him in the
Texas league to make room for Jim
Brown. obtained from st. Louis for de-
velopment. II John Smith is any good
at all as an innelder. he will be heard
from Just as surely in Texas as in Wis
consin.
Differ OH Development.
Opinions differ greatly as to whether
a young player develops faster in a
high class minor league or in one Of
lower class. Mostly it depends on the
youngster himself and on the manager
under whom he plays. There are as
many wise old ball players plotting
teams in the tall grass rs there are In
the higher bush leagues.
No minor league recruit ever yet
came into asst company who did not
have n lot TO learn. no matter how high
a rating was claimed by tho circuit
from which he graduated. For in
stance. that copiously press ACCENTED
outhelder whom McGraw obtained from
San Francisco at the supposedly high
price OF SIS, 900. First thing McGraw
had to do In San Antonio was to teach
his prize youngster how to go after a
fly ball.
From the standpoint OF the major
leagues. II is claimed by the ~boycotted
circuits that the players farmed out
to leagues Of a low class will get little
benefit from the years seasoning COM
pared to what would be derived by n
season in the stronger minor. Grant
ing this may be true in n measure. II
won materially affect the natural ball
player who has in him the markings Of
a star. He will develop anywhere and
cannot be kept down except by getting
sidetracked into some circuit from
which he cannot be drafted into fast
company. The mediocre player who
needs a lot OF schooling may develop
more slowly in a lower class than in a
higher.
In any company a manager is not
likely to break his neck or sit up
nights developing a player who is mere
" loaned to him for a season.