Evening star., 1940-02-04
Magnates Are Upset
By Judge Plan 10
Socia|ize Minors
Condemn His SheepIike
Followers; Writers Fete
To Lompoon Issue
By JUDSON BAILEY,
Associated Press Sports Writer.

ASSoclAteo Press SportS WriteI.
NEW YORK, Feb. 3.-Baseball
leaders, gathering here for league
meetings and tomoTow's dinner OF
the New York baseball writer's. are
fuming privately over Commissioner
X. M. Lands proposal for socializ-
ing the minor leagues through abo-
lition of farm systems.
They condemned the plan, which
would abolish working agreements
and the farming out of players on
option and would provide for a
central fund to subsidize all smaller
minor league clubs.
But most of all the critics seemed
to resent the ''bandwagon' on
which lot of their brethren climb
after Lands issues one of his bulle-
tins.
The minute the judge speaks. p"
one executive said, "a great many
baseball men rush to proclaim that
whatever it may be is profoundly
correct. Lands has done an i'm
mense service for baseball, but he
is only human, and 1 can't see why
some people think every time he
speaks it is the gospel.
Plan Not Held Practical.
'As for this substitute he offers
for the farm systems, there isn't
a single practical thing in it. The
oretically it is beautiful, but it would
wreck baseball"
The subject was thrashed out
in the secrecy of closed meetings
today by the International and
Eastern Leagues and was certain
for another round Tuesday when
the National League meets.
All of the magnates approached
expressed hope Lands would accede
to the request of William G. Bram-
ham, president of, the National
Association minor leagues) that
the commissioner suspend until
after the 1910 season restrictions
against interlocking farm agree
ments.
Bramham had pointed out the
code laid down by Lands came in
mid-January after many working
agreements had been completed ano
on the eve of spring training.
MacPhail Fears for Minors.
Larry MacPhail, president of the
Brooklyn Dodgers and fiery fight
er for his ideas, asserted: Il am
convinced that from 10 to Is minor
leagues will be unable to open their
seasons this spring unless Lands
modifles his stand.
Il am equally confident that il
Lands has this fact put before
him comprehensively he will be
more than anxious to meet club
owners half way in order to
straighten out the present confu-
SION"
One minor league chieftain, pre-.
ferring to remain anonymous, re.
called that since 1882 the mum.
ber of minor leagues has increased
from II to AZ and that three others
were ready to start the 1910 sea-
son.
He said this meant that the num-
ber of ball players employed in
organized leagues had increased in
this time from about $500 to more
than 10000.
Writers to LampOOn Lands.
AS result of the present system
he asserted municipalities had spent
millions of dollars to provide ball
parks, attendance had mush-
roomed to its highest point in his
tory and the players, whom Lands
is seeking to protect. have reaped
the benefits.
While the Lands issue was mat
ter Of serious attention for the
league sessions, it was due for q
lampooning in the writer's show al
tomorrow nights banquet. Nearly
a thousand guests, many of them
baseball headliners from all parts
Of the country, were expected.
An award for meritorious service
to the sport over a long period OF
years was to be given to Ed Barrow
president of the New York Yankees
and another was planned fol
Bucky Walters, Cincinnati pitcher
whom the writers named the out.
standing player of the year.
Herbert Hoover, Senator Gerald
Nye, James A. Farley, Hugh John.
son and other prominent personages
were listed as speakers.