The Wilmington morning star., 1940-01-27
Commissioners Suggestion Is
In No Way An Order
To Club Owners
By R

CHICAGO, Jan. 26.-R-Kene.
saw Mountain Lands, commission
er Of baseball, offered today a plan
that would revolutionize player
transactions between major and
minor league clubs.
Lands in a 3,000!word letter to
all club owners proposed to clarity
the situation resulting from his re-
cent decision freeing 81 players
from the Detroit Tigers farm sys-
tenn.
It aims to establish for the play.
ers freedom of competition and
the proper chance of advancement;
for the clubs, equality Of oppor-
tunity in acquiring players and
for the minor leagues the assist.
that they need and which
critics Of the recent Lands decision
maintained are impossible without
farm" systems.
. Not An Order
Landis' proposal Is in no way an
order to the club owners. In a
brief preamble, the commissioner
pointed out that his plan merely
is a suggestion and q request Is
made upon all clubs: major and
minor, to survey the proposal and
submit views and suggestions as
promptly as possible.
The commissioner has always re-
garded farm systems as "evil," and
detrimental to the best interests of
young ball players.
The fundamental detectives of
the plan are:
1.-The major and minor leagues
to cooperate in acquiring, develop
ing and advancing players.
Clubs to acquire a player by
no means except outright owner
ship-in other words, no player
can be held on option.
s.-small minor league teams
classes B, c and D-to be granted
cash subsidies each year.
k.-All players in classes below
the major leagues not sold by a
deadline-Landis suggests Sept. 1
as the date-to BE- eligible for draft
ing by higher classification clubs
each year.
The major points in the plan are
listed as protection Of interests Of
club owners, promotion Of welfare
of the players and secure their
chance to advance or still and
above all to warrant the public's
In baseball integrity and
methods.
The most striking possibility in
the plan Is the demand that no
player could be controlled by any
club except through outright own.
ership. That would end options and
working agreements.
Insistence is made that players
shall have the right to advance
and remain in the highest classifi-
cation of baseball service for which
they are qualified" and that clubs
shall have equality Of opportunity
to obtain player strength on reas.
able terms with no possibility of
restrictions by competing clubs to
control players at the source Of
supply"-meaning the minors.
Lands proposed that a fund be
established, by the major leagues.
to grant cash subsidies Of $1,000
annually to each class D league
team, $500 to each class c league
team and $4,000 to teams in class
B leagues. The fund for the suhsi-
dies would not be completely ex-
hausted each year since each club
would pay back it's subsidy out Of
the proceeds Of its player sales.
For example, q class B team
selling players would turn the first
$1,000 back to the subsidy fund and
retain the balance. To cover shrink
age when clubs fail to realize their
subsidy from sales the major
leagues. would make contributions
each year. All baseball fines also
would so into the subsidy fund.
IL 0CStS1iVo
Lands listed II benefits which
would result from his plan. These
included:
/. Elimination Of cold storagins''
Of players since advancement Of
players would not be retarded.
2. A tendency to restrict cover
up" Of players by minimizing temp.
tation to engage in such a prac.
tice and make it difficult to do SO.
3. Permit higher classification
clubs TO make player deals contin.
gent on immediate needs rather
than be obliged to anticipate future
needs and thereby control excess
players while awaiting that even.
ltuality.
4. Encouragement Of local own
Iership Of clubs which, Lands said,
Is preferable, to outside ownership,
thereby relieving higher clubs of
the responsibility Of operating such
clubs.
Major league clubs, at present.
Lands pointed out, ARE more in.
terested in developing and advanc-
ing minor league players through
subsidiaries or affiliates rather than
in paying additional sums for play.
ers to Independent minor clubs. q
situation which restricts purchase
of players from the latter and de.
creases prices.