The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-12-03
Association, International
and Coast Loops See In
veStmentS Endangered.
MINORS IN CONVENTION
Many Magnates Gather in
y Toronto for Session.
BIZ United Press

By united Press
TORONTO, Ontario, Dec. g.
Three powerful Glass AA leagues
the international, Pacific Coast and
American Association-are threat
ening to withdraw from, the national
association if certain proposed draft
legislation is passed at the annual
meeting of minor league baseball
clubs here this week.
The National Association is the
governing body of all minor leagues
in organized baseball.
Draft legislation, always bone
of contention between the Glass AA
leagues and the twenty other
smaller circuits which make up the
National Association, is certain to
be pushed to the fore at the current
meeting. A resolution around which
the fight may revolve is one which
will lie introduced by President N.
G.. 3ranham of the Piedmont Glass
G League.
Blow to AA Clubs
President Branham proposes that
any player who first signs a con-
tract with club in a draft league
(the Class AA leagues are not sub
ject to the universal draft shall
thereafter be subject to the draft
regardless of whether he SubSe-
quently goes to a club in a nondraft
league.
The Glass AA club owners point
out that since they inevitably get
most of their players from the
smaller draft leagues, the resolution
in time would bring about a state
of affairs where practically all the
Glass AA players would be eligible
for selection by the draft.
BY submitting to such legislation,
the Glass AA leagues would be yield
ing from the stand against the draft
which they have maintained ada
mainly and successfully, despite OPP
position from above and below. The
major leagues have attempted to
force acceptance of "the universal
right to selection" by the Glass AA
clubs, and the little leagues always
NOOO S1lCC44ully 4OL GllC 0ctlQ universal
draft.
Costly AA Franchises
There has been much said on both
sides of the question. Right now,
when the Glass AA group, or three
of its most powerful members, are
threatening sedition from the ma
tional association, their attitude is
as follows:
The proposed legislation (they
say would cut down prices such as
can be expected for genuine stars at
the present time, for if such players
were not sold for whatever the
major leagues offered, they certainly
would be drafted at the draft price.
The Class AA leagues could not, as
they do now, retain such star play
erS until their prices were met.
Guard investments
The Glass AA league representa-
tiyeS point out that their total in
vestment in ball parks, franchises
and contracts exceeds by far that
of all the other leagues of the ma
tional association combined. They
do not want the smaller circuits en-
forcing legislation detrimental to
such investment.
Above everything (say the Glass
AA mem they do not want the little
minor leagues, which occasionally
mushroom up and collapse again
within a season or so, to pass legis-
lation affecting single ball clubs
which alone have investments of
more than $1,OOOOOO each.
The voting at Toronto this week
will be by leagues, with Glass d
league with practically no financial