Evening star., 1940-01-15
Ruling toCance|
Detroit's Swap
For As Moses
Costs Club Estimated
$500, 900; BeneoIs
Lose Promising Trio
BY TOM SILER.


CHICAGO, Jan. 15.-Commis-
sioner Kenesaw Mountain Lands
who always has the last word in
organized baseball, has spoken again
and as a result the far-flung farm
system of the Detroit Tigers is a
mere shambles.
Lands, in voluminouS and
strongly worded report handed
down yesterday. wrecked the intri-
cate "chain-gang" setup of the
American League club and warned
all baseball executives of even more
severe penalties for similar rules in
fractions in the future.
He charged Detroit and affiliated
clubs used fake agreements" false
certificates of club relationships, =
"cover-up" deals and similar prac-
ticeS in operation of farm system
Five Ruled on Tigers.
The nine-month investigation
brought the following action:
/. Free agency was awarded 90
players, valued at close to $500 900,
including Pitchers Paul Trout, Lloyd
Dietz and Steve Rachuno, Infielder
Benny Mccoy and Outfielder Roy
Cullenbine of the Detroit club. The
other 81 were scattered among Is
minor league clubs.
2. All player transfers, except on
waivers, between Detroit Gncluding
Beaumont of the Texas League and
other subsidiary and affiliated clubs)
and Toledo (American Association)
Fort Worth (Texas League) and
Lake Charles (Evangeline League
or their subsidiaries or affiliates, are
prohibited for three yaars from the
present time.
3. The Chicago Cubs were fined
81 900 for contracting Mccoy and
Cullenbine, before the inquiry was
completed, in the interest of their
future employment in case they were
declared free agents. The st. Louis
Browns were fined $500 for contact
ing Mccoy under similar circum-
stances.
Order Effective January 20.
4. The free agencies granted the
81 players will not become effective
until January 20. and no club may
contact them before that date. De-
troit and the clubs operating with
Detroit in these rules violations
cannot contract with any of the
players for three years.
5. Cleveland of the American
League was ordered to pay $4,000
to Walter Carson, New Orleans
Southern Association outf1elder. To-
ledo, Detroit affiliate until recently,
sent Carson to New Orleans and was
paid $1,000 for his contract. To-
ledo, in turn. secretly gave this
amount to Cleveland.
8. Several other players entitled
to free agency were disposed of by
Detroit and farm clubs to other
clubs for value. Lands ruled these
players must be paid the amount
received for them, either by Detroit
or the club acting for Detroit. the
commissioner to settle any disputes
over which club shall pay. The play
ers, their present Affiliations and
amounts awarded them follow:
Players to Be Paid.
John Lindsay Brown, Portland
$500; Irving Jack Burns, Toronto
$500; Frank Reiber, Toronto
$5y000 Clyde Smoll, Knoxville
Tenn, $2,500; George Archie, Seattle
$1,000; Chester Morgan. Louisville
5000; Parke Ed Coleman, Portland
$1,000; Irving Bartling, Wilkes
Barre, Pa, $2,5o0; John Zapor, Dur
ham, N. c.. $1,000; Emile DeJonghe
Toronto, s4,75O; William Ehrens-
berger, Meridian, Miss, $4,000;
Jaseph T. Hare, $500; Ray Fritz,
$500, and Don French, $2,5OO. The
last three's latest club Affiliations
were not available at the commits
sioner's Office.
Lands said he was giving notice
to all clubs that the evils of COM
mon control Of player dealings OF
two clubs in the same league and
perversion of working agreements
into arrangements for the wholesale
covering up of players must cease
AL club officials and employees
found to be involved in any such
misconduct after this date will be
placed on the ineligible list, maxi
mum fines will be imposed upon
each club concerned and all players
mishandled therein will be declared
free agents"
Similar to Cards Case.
The Detroit case parallels in many
ways the ruling against the ST.
Louis Cardinals in March, 1898. AT
that time, Lads declared more than
100 players free agents and fined
the Cards and affiliated clubs q
total of $2,176. But in the st. Louis
case practically all of the players
freed were from small classification
(See Lands, Page A-16)