Evening star., 1940-01-27
Much Time Required
1oAdopt System,
Harridge Says
Hickey Of Cards Feurs
Policy Would Prove
Ruinous to Minors
BY TOM SFLER,
Associated press aportx WritAy

Associated Press Sports Writer.
CHICAGO, Jan. 27.-Chain-gang
baseball is as dead as last years
pennant race If the club owners
take the advice Of stern, unyielding
Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain
Lands.
But will they take it? That was
the paramount question today as
the big league and minor league
magnates studied Lands involved
and voluminous plan for setting up
a new system of player transactions
between baseball clubs.
The commissioner usually issues
orders, not requests But his pro-
posal, given out yesterday in the
form of 3,000-word letter to club
owners, is merely suggestion. He
asked the majors and minors to
study it thoroughly and give him
their reactions.
Would Check Options.
Lands long has been an opponent
of extensive farm systems in base
ball, his views doubtless being
formed after discovering many vio-
lations of baseball law in the opera
tion of the chain-gangs.
Two weeks ago he knocked the
props from under Detroit's farm
setup by declaring 81 players free
agents. Two years ago he freed
more than 100 players belonging to
the st. Louis Cardinals.
After the Detroit edict he warned
magnates continued violations
would result in heavy fines and
banishment of guilty officials from
the game.
The Lands plan provides for CO.
operation of the majors and minors
in acquiring, developing and ad-
vancing players; the acquisition of
players by no means except outright
ownership, eliminating the practice
Of controlling of players on option:
granting of subsidies yearly to class
B, c and D league teams; ruling
all players in the minors not sold
by deadline eligible for the draft
by higher classification clubs each
year.
Praised by Harridge.
The commissioner asserted that
the best interests Of club owners
and players would be served by
legislation establishing such a sys-
tenn of handling players. It has
been Lands contention that farm
systems keep players in cold stor-
age" until the possessor club needs
them and that they cover up" play
ers.
Several baseball executives in
both leagues joined President Will
liam Harridge of the American
League in praising the plan, but
many others declined to comment
on the proposal
Harridge said the plan pointed
the way toward elimination of most
OF baseball's problems and added:
Il believe, however, that it will
take some time and a lot of work
to set up the plan. It's high spot, as
I see it now, is the removal of some
OF the major league clubs from their
present position of entering into
bargaining for players long before
the players are qualified major
leaguers."
Seen Blow to Minors.
He said this new plan would
eliminate this evil and give all big
league clubs IAN equal chance in
the bidding for minor leaguers.
Branch hickey, st. Louis execu-
tive and head of the Cardinals farm
system. said he didn't see how "the
big minor leagues could agree to
the Lands plan" Some of them.
he added, have $3.50, 900 invested" in
player talent. He termed it a rad
ical departure from the present
system"
c. c. Slapnicka, Cleveland vice
president; Harry Grabiner, Chicago
White Sox vice president, and Eddie
Collins, general manager of the Bos-
ton Red Sox, expressed approval of
the plan and Owner Phil Wrigley
OF the Chicago Cubs said he favored
anything which would simplify ac-
QUESTION of players.
Slapnicka said he was in favor
OF any plans. such as proposed
by Commissioner Lands, to replace
the old method of obtaining major
league material, which has been too
vicious
Never Favored Farms.
Il never was in favor of farm
systems" he declared. THE cost of
maintaining scouts and elaborate
farm systems was becoming burden
some and costly. If allowed to grow
It gradually would undermine the
whole system of baseball"
Ceilings said he approved any
proposal that aims to help finan-
cially the minor league clubs of
lower classification for they are
going to need support" Grabiner
said he thought the plan was sound
and considered it "a very workable
, plan-some details, of course, will
have to be worked out"
Among the many others who
withheld comment was Ed Barrow,
president of the New York Yankees,
which operate one of the largest
and most productive farm systems.
Would Subsidize Minors.
Lands based most of the points
IN the proposal on the firm belief
that ball players should have the
right to advance and remain in the
highest classification of baseball
service for which they are quail
fed" and that all clubs should have
equality of opportunity to obtain
PLAYER strength on reasonable terms
with no possibility of restriction by
competing clubs to control players"
in the minor leagues.
The commissioner also proposed
that eaci. class B minor league team
be subsidized $4,000 annually, class
c team $500 and class D team
Al fl()() stlcpestinp that maior league