The Detroit tribune. (Detroit, Mich.) 1935-1966, 1942-04-11


per cent brand of baseball. goods
conduct on the field and with the
cole purpose OF pleasing the public,
which supports the game.
THE spirit OF cooperation must
positively prevail among members
OF the league and the foundation OF
our success shall be built along
lines Of the famous old saying, All
for one and one for all"
Very Nice Talk
Well, that's very nice talk by
President Jackson. It's perhaps fit
ting that one in his exalted Office
should issue such a statement. But
TO the man In the streets the state
ment by Mr.. Jackson is not taken
seriously by the fans. These boys
who have seen baseball leagues
come and go know better. And so
does President Jackson.
For instance. the fans can point
TO the early 192Os when the East
ern league was formed and owners
in that circuit began wholesale
raids on western clubs. flashing
healthy hank rolls in the faces OF
players in their successful efforts
10 induce them 10 Join their teams.
Detroit. Kansas City, Chicago. In
dianapolis and other cities lost men
In the war.
Detroit Lost In Raids
Detroit lost the service OF Frank
Warfeld, top ranking second sack
err: Bill Holland. then riding the
wave as one OF the best young right
handlers in the game. and Clint
Thomas. hard hitting outfelder.
indianapolis lost Oscar Charles
ton. Blackman and Carney Day.
From Chicago the East took Dave
Brown and John Beckwith. and
Kansas City lost Rnbe Curry. Rich
ard Cain and Heavy Johnson.
Prior 10 the raids made by the
East clubs IN the West had de-
moralized Eastern clubs by taking
the best players. John Henry
Lloyd was Induced 10 come back
West and take over the pilotship Of
Columbus Buckeyes. Lloyd was
paid a salary ~ $500 a month. the
highest salary ever given a PLAYER
In the West Charleston ranked
second with $500 from Indianapolis
in 1929.
Rack before the First World War
clubs in the West with the late
Frank Leland owner Of the Chi
cago Leland Giants. went East and
riddled the Philadelphia Giante.
Cuban Y Giants and Lincoln Giants.
Leland brought Andrew (Rube)
Foster west TO manage his team In
1905. A short time after Foster had
Petway. Pete Booker. Pete Hill
Jess Barker. Judy Cans and others
under his guidance.
But the biggest raids came In
1929 and 1924 when The Eastern
Professional league was formed and
owners OF Hillsdalc. Harrisburg
Baltimore. Homestead Grays. and
Lincoln Giants were sending repre-
eentatives 10 the west 10 inveicle
players 70 jump contracts for larg-
or salaries.
Need Rig Bank Rolls
OF course the current raids n
any. will hinge on very important
factor-money n the owners 81
the clubs IN the newly-formed Ne
gro Major Baseball league are la
den with some heavy hank rolls
then the fans can prepare for some
raids. n the owners arc not hnr-
dcned with these heavy rolls then
the good players will remain with
the Negro National league
As an example. one ~ the clubs
in the new league could possibly
persuade Josh Gibson 70 desert tho
Homestead Grays. champions OF The
Negro National league. n thev could
OFFER him salary higher than the
one he's receiving from the rrays
PLAYERS ~ the Baltimore Black
Sox. Newark Eagles. Hillsdale New
York Black Yankees. Kansas CITY
Monarchs. Chicago American CT
ants. and Memphis Red Sox have
ears keenly attuned 10 the jingle Of
cash
Contracts, Don't ne absurd
These contracts will never mean
ANYTHING until the dav Negro hasc-
ball Is headed nv a Judge Lands.
Players jump from one league n
another. as witness the case of
Johnson taking his entire team 20
New York without tho sanction NJ
the Negro American LEAGUE. The
hovs let out few velpS hut no one
paid any particular attention be-
cause the fan in the streets knows
Negro baseball has 10 do plenty NJ
cleaning before rs house will be IN
shane.
The members OF the newlv-form-
cd league have fne opportunity
~ DO something hir for Negro base
ball They can operate league
that will he leagre IN every
ecnse ~ the word They can issue
some haitin~ and fielding AVERAGES
regularly. ard ihev can nut some
teams IN the field whose deportmen.
is above that N what ono secs IN
~ ot- aileve