The Wilmington morning star., 1946-05-18
EDWARD SACHS
Morning Watch
s65 and $50

Look at it this way. When the war broke Joe Smith
was % years of age. He had always wanted to play pro-
fessional baseball. The way he had it figured out, he would
start off in Class D baseball, work up the chain and attempt
TO break in the major leagues. If he couldn't make it in
four or five years he would, in all probability leave baseball
Then war broke out and he received that hanpv naner
from the White House via a local selective service board.
Maybe he thought of a fast train to the wilds of Mexico
or maybe ne enlisted. What eyer the reason, he entered
service and gave three, two or four years Of his life to
Uncle Sam.
When he got out he still wanted to play baseball ar
he knew that ne would, unless he was a Grady Hatton. have
to start at the bottom in Class D baseball aoain Rn+ 10
situation was a little different. He was now two or three
years older and two or three years in the life of an athlete
is a ntae oI 1lesa than two or three years in the life of
will decrease 9sns once rn n PASSES aasar s. ss years Of age where in most protes-
So s% or over. ~AS ''"e' 00n0 keep or increasing until he is
Joe thought it over and even though his living expenses yer
ss $50 }" or he nav n~v1 bav sr1 he some girl who used to be hostess
Single o. ermm married. It takes more money to keep a man in hi:
ut of high school or college. ~ " '''"sS'er resi-
sb sg' i ncoT = tax san 5rscke ae Not Hd going sot to push Isl x anybody into the
Baseball than almost anything eIse' it ai sn q = ne S.r %o asb+ rather play
But it seems our Congress when it wasn't campaigning or
t ssss Gl Bill IL Of : I Rights I%e0' u Rassed this i VERY sS t fe0s p pieoe , Of ar legislation o..
on the JOB t training ,a a program whereby CTS learning a trade
No one ever thought of bali players when they started to install
the program RAM; it was was intended iMs Hl more for the manual trades. But ball
players we're drd1te0 just like bookblnderS, countermen and print
ers. There was no reason why "on-the job-training," shouldn't apply
for baseball players.
Thursday, the jackson, mississippi, ball club of the South
roster under the program. Fred Mo Q en1f ad's1 Veterans o. ' xd@ nen%
will be- given tie same Training . offered 1ssA to players yen " ' = nos
war veterans but who are attempting to increase their skill to
qualify for the major eagues.
Under the arrangement, single war veterans will receive sos a
month and married vets 500 a month subsistence payments from the
federal government SO long as their salaries plus the government pay
ments does not exceed the salary Of similar players in the big
leagues.
This program seems to us to be tailored for Tobacco State league
clubs. We would imagine that veterans of World War II make up 80
per cent Of the players.
If the Pirates, Leafs o Spinners wanted to install the pro-
gram they would have to follow this procedure. Qualify their club
under the program with state headquarters. Have each World
War II veteran who wished to be included under the program pre-
sent his honorable discharge to the local VA director and there
you are.
We r convinced that the program would keep a lot of young
men in baseball who can't afford to stay in the sport because of the
necessary low salary payments in the lower classified leagues. We
hope that the owners Of the Tobacco State lea que clubs, President J.
E. L. Wade and for that matter all minor league clubs take the
Jackson plan under ADJUSTMENT.