The Daily Alaska empire., 1940-02-05
ROOTS OF 194O
 B. B. MIx-Up GO
 BACK, 15T FARMS
Current Diamond Head. aches Traced 10 Begin
 hing of System
By DILLON GRAHAM

by DlLLON UhtAffAM Sports Editor, AP Feature Service NEW YORK. Feb. 5.-Baseball's
 current headache traces away back
 to the beginnings of the major
 leagues farm system 19 years ago.
 The games high commissioner,
 Kenesaw Mountain Landis, and the club owners don't see eye to eye
 now in the interpretation of base
 ball law concerning the transfer
 of players in this complicated chain
 store hookup.
 Club owners want the rules in-
 terpreted now to conform with gen.
 eral practices. The Judge-Landis
 was formerly U. s. Judge-says he
 interprets them as they read on the
 books The Judge warned 'em two years
 ago.
 Baseball men knew that some
 operators weren't handling their
 players in a manner approved by
 the commissioner. Hints didn't work
 so the Judge cut loose with blow
 against the St. Louis Cardinals that
 was to serve; as a warning to the other. major league clubs.
 The commissioner freed flock of players whose strings the Car dinals held and plastered batch of fines on several minor league clubs.
 But baseball-or all of it-still didn't heed the plain caution. So the other day Landis uncorked the most severe punch he has tossed during his 20 years as head man. He made free agents of four Detroit players an daround 90 minor lea guers on clubs with which the Tigers had affiliations. This all but smash ed Detroit's farm system.
 Then, while other club owners doubtless waited and wondered whether their slates looked clean to the Judge, Landis poured out another warning. He said that ev- cry secret player transfer or other player "cover Up" effected would lead to making the player a free agent and assessing a $500 fine to each club concerned. Each club official participating would be stis- pended. A heavy fine and suspen- sion would await any club or off, cial who filed information misrep- the status of. a player or club affiliation. s3
 There has been intermittent trou- ble between the commissioner and the owners ever since Branch Rickey of the St. Louis Cardinals origin ated the farm system in 1921. Let's consider the birth and growth of this chain-store baseball, which Landis dislikes.
 Rickey found that the richer clubs had the money to outbid poorer clubs for the best player talent. So he decided to make connections and develop his own.
 The venture he made in produc- ton of young players in wholesale lots at minimum costs eventually revolutionized the big business of ma joring in baseball Hickey start ed by negotiating deals with Syra- cuse, Fort Smith and Houston These farms began to produce good players and four years later the Cardinals won the World champion ship.
 Other clubs began to see the light. | Finally even those with the big ,heckbooks adopted Rickey's idea. Now every major league clug owns pr has working agreements with minor league clubs. From a mod ,st beginning the Cardinal chain developed until last year there were g clubs-18 owned outright and 1 Il linked by working agreements.
 The chain store method brought ,wo new terms to baseball" syn. iicate-farming'' and "share-crop- ,ing.", The major league clubs were syndicate farmers inasmuch as they held title to. come of their minor league connections outright They were "share-croppers' under he numerous working agreements. These working agreements are flex- ble affairs. The plan is simple, how yer
 A minor club, say in Class c, reeds money for operating expens- ,s It petitions a major outfit for perhaps $6,O00 and in return offers hat club the pick of a half dozen players when the season is over The angel" of the minor club thus ,an pick the plums, taking the six players most likely to make good n the big time, or can spot them elsewhere in. the major-controlled