The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-12-07
Association and Mates Have
New Proposition for Big
Circuits.
DRAFT TOPIC DELAYED
Baseball Convention Winds
Up at Toronto.
BY FRANK GETTY
United Press Sports Editor

TORONTO, Ontario, Dec. IA
proposal that all major league
clubs sell their minor league fran
! chiseS within three years-one of
the most radical suggestions yet Of
fered to organized baseball-may
be made by representatives of class
AA circuits at a meeting at West
Baden, Ind, Jan. is, the United
Press learned today.
In return for this concession the
largest minor leagues now exempt
from the draft would grant the ma
jorS the right to selection" on a
universal basis.
This is the newest impending de-
velopment of the seemingly endless
dispute over the draft, the principal
bone of contention in baseball. 1t
arises from the fact that the class
AA league and some of the minor
circuits feel that the domination of
the majors through their owner
ship of farm" franchises is even
more a handicap to the minor
leagues than some acceptable form
of the universal draft.
ToOIe's More Effective
Through the efforts of John Con-
way Toole, president of the Interna-
tional League, the larger minor
leagues effectively blocked any dis
cussion of the draft at the annual
meeting of the national association,
which closed here today.
President Toole succeeded in per-
Suading the smaller minor leagues
to postpone action upon proposed
amendments to the major-minor
agreement pertaining to the fright
to selection" until a committee from
the International and Pacific Coast
leagues and the American AsSocia-
ton had had an opportunity to take
up the matter once more with the
major leagues.
The three large Glass AA circuits
are appointing committees to meet
at West Baden, Jan. Is, and confer
with representatives of the majors
and with other minor league men
most interested in the draft prob
lem.
Wants Majors Out
Instead. however. of throwing
further obstacles in the way of the
universal draft as applicable to all
minor leagues, the Class AA mag
mates, the United Press learns, are
prepared to offer a radical compro-
mise solution. They are prepared
to grant the majors the right to Sc
lect players from the leagues at
present exempt, if the majors will
agree to sell their franchises and
get out of minor league baseball.
An announcement that the New
York Yankees had purchased
franchises at Syracuse and Cham
bersburg, and might even buy in at
Nashville and San Antonio, precipi-
tated the decision of the larger
minor leagues to open a fight
against such control. The argument
advanced by the Glass AA owners
on behalf of all smaller leagues is
that when major league club owns
a franchise in a minor league, the
circuit becomes unbalanced.
Clubs owned locally are unable to
compete with those in the same
league controlled by major league
money for the latter have every adj
vantage in the way of obtaining
players, and invariably win the,
pennants.
Meanwhile, at Toronto, the only
remaining problem before the ma
tional association is that concern
ing the suggestion of the advisory
council of baseball that major
league clubs be permitted to pur-
chase minor league franchises upon
payment of a fee of $4,000 plus
flair price" for the property.
This proposition naturally con-
flictS directly with the new one of
the Class AA clubs of which the
United Press has just been in
formed.