Douglas daily dispatch., 1927-12-09
BASEBALL CONTROVERSY IS SEEN
In ACTION OF MINOR LEAGUES

DADEbkAJJ OONIEEOVEH- Or
DALLAS, Texas, Dec. 8 tP-Possi-
bility that baseball might see another
controversy, such as that which shook
the game before the present major
minor league accord was reached, was
seen here tonight, when the National
Association of Professional Baseball
clubs ordered five of its members to
discontinue their modified draft agree
ment with the major leagues.
The American association, the In
ternational league, the Pacific coast
league, the Three-I league and the
Western league, were ordered to dis
continue the modified draft immedi-
ately, IA leagues voting age on the
resolution and five no. Those which
voted against the resolution we're the
Pacific coast league, the Three-I
league, the Western league, the West
ern association and the Mississippi
valley league.
BY its action the association auto.
matically put the American associa-
ton, the International league, the,
Pacific coast league, the Three-I and
the Western league in strictly nom
draft classification.
When the or-minor agreement
governing relations between the upper
and lower StrataS of baseball was
adopted in 1921 it was accepted with
the understanding that it could be
altered only with the consent of all
parties. At that time all minor league
clubs were given the option of accept
ing the draft, or. definitely rejecting it..
The American association, Interna-
tional, Coast, Western league and
three-I league at that time refused to
accept the draft, while the other minors
agreed to it. Later, however, John
Conway Toole, president of the In
ternational league charged today, pres
sure was brought OF bear on these
clubs through the refusal of major
league clubs to send them players or
allow them to obtain players from the
other minors.
AS a compromise the five non-draft
leagues finally accepted what is known
as the modified draft, under which:
they can obtain players from the
major leagues, with the understand
ing that such players can be drafted
back to the majors. Players belong
ing to the leagues who have not come
to them from the majors, however,
are not subject to the draft.
Under this system, representatives
of the other minor Leagues charge, the
majors have secuted every college,
sand lot and industrial team, signed
majority of the new crop of players
every year and then placed them with
the five clubs under the modified draft,
knowing that they can reclaim them
through the draft. The smaller leagues
complain that the practice has made
it difficult for them to obtain promis
ing youngsters att reasonable salaries
and also say that it enables the major
leagues to sell a man for large sum
in the spring and then reclaim him
for the standard draft price in the
fall
Acceptance by the five nom draft !
leagues of the modified draft, other
minor league club owners assert, vio- !
lated the jor-minor agreement in !
that it was modification of the agree !;
ment without thee consent of all part !
les
Walter Morris, owner of the Dallas
club in the Texas league and Herman
j. WeiSman, president of the Eastern
league, introduced the motion yester-
day and John Conway Toole preSi- |
dent of the International, came to their
aid today and supported the resolution.
Cal Ewing, president of the Oakland
coast club, opposed the measure
throughout, warning the convention
that it was treading on dangerous
ground and that was taking a step
that might disrupt the present equili-
brium of organized baseball and pre-
cipitate a new baseball war.
President Sexton's recommendation
that the buying of sand lot and col
lege youngsters by the majors for
trading purposes be stopped was ap-
proved by the convention which pass
ed resolution condemning such prac-
tices.
j. Cal Ewing, chairman of the draft
ing committee, interpreted the resolu-
ton as a move against major leagues
acquiring sand lot, high school and
college players at big salaries that gave
the players affected a false sense Of
value, and then using those players
for trading purposes.
n