The Washington times., 1938-03-24


times involving more than one
In the same circuit.
A Major Sin
It is this last violation which
Is a thrust at the very keystone
of organized baseball and which
caused Landis to destroy the
Cardinal tie-ups inimical to the
welfare of the game.
His own quotations best de-
scribe the principles involved:
The fundamental, indispenS-
able basis in every teams opera
ton, both major and minor. is
the unquestionable integrity to
competition within the league.
Obviously doubt of that must
arise if players Of two or more
clubs competing in the same
league are controlled by the one
organization or the power exists
thereby to regulate and control
competition of those clubs"
The powerful network Of the
st. Louis Cardinals has consti-
tuted the strongest farm SyS-
tenn in baseball, often referred
to as the st. Louis chain gang.
Oddly enough its existence
has not thrust the Cardinals
into too commanding position
in the National League, partic.
ularly insofar as recent world
series competition is concerned.
Loose on Market
More than 100 young ball
players will be set on the open
market by Lands solution of
what he terms a vicious system
of understandings with Glass
D clubs not formally accredited
as farms of the Cardinals.
Farm baseball has ever been
q touchy subject with Judge
Lands and the magnates know
it. Thus he dug very deeply
into the known and unknown
subsidiaries of the Cardinals
with whom he has been at war
for a long time.
The Judge has no sympathy
with the claim of major league
owners that they are subsidizing
minor league clubs just to keep
the little loops going.
It is the contention Of the
High Commissioner that baseball
will support itself wherever it is
worth being played and that the
major mogulS have their own
selfish motives for the wide
spread assistance they are giving
minor league clubs in many in
StnceS.
However, there is nothing
that Lands can do about it, so
long as but one team in a league
is given assistance, used as a
farm or enters into any other
understanding with a major
league club. Baseball law per-
mitS single affiliates, but not
dual ones in the same loop.
Sports Silhouettes
They do say that Davey Bern.
stein. Catholic University's 49,
pound fighter, helps keep in
condition by wrestling daily
with Great Dane.
Nineteen of the 81 years the
American League has been in
existence. some member Of the
Detroit Tigers has been the bat
ting champion. Rudy York, con-
verted last year into a catcher,
says he's going to make it
twenty.
The late Bob Fats" Fothergill,
q prodigiouS hitter of his day,
was once asked by a reporter
his secret for clouting the ball.
Blowing clouds of cigar smoke
before he answered, Fothergill
replied crispIy: "Shucks, there
isn't any secret about it. You
just walk up there and smack
it-that's ALL"
Word waited North is that the
members Of the Yankees are in
none too sympathetic a mood
with Joe DiMaggio'S holdout
campaign. In the first place
they want him in the fold. the
better to insure their third
straight pennant.
Secondly, he is held as some
thing of an migrate in view OF
the fact that the last two sea-
sons one thing or another kept
him from starting.
Two years ago he had a burned
foot, missing II games, and last
year an arm injury kept him
out Of the first five games.