The Waterbury Democrat., 1946-09-14
Duggon Files Strong Reply ToMortin
By JOHN A. CLUNEY


 not the only baseball squad vic- timized by player-rules interpreta- tion of officials of the l-American Amateur Baseball Association. A week previous to the "open" tourna- ment at Harrisburg, which started Tuesday, Sept. 3, the AAABA spon- sored a limited" or junior baseball tournament at Washington, D. c.
 Because of a strict and hair-split- ting interpretation of player -eligi- bility rules by the tournament con- mittee of the All-American Associa- tion, meeting at Washington, the Cleveland Klarreich-Kadar Realty team was disqualified after it had played and won two games in the junior tourney.
 As one result, the disqualification of the Cleveland youngsters (12-14 years of age) the organization sponsored by Glenn L. Martin of Baltimore, internationally famous aviation tycoon, has drawn the ver- bal and literary fire of William T. Duggan, president of the Cleveland Am a ateur Baseball Association; which certified the junior players from Cleveland, as eligible to play under All-American Association rules; as did the City Amateur League of Waterbury, in certifying the Franco American team players at Harrisburg.
 Claims Bad Deal
 In personal letter to MT. Martin, chairman of the AAABA, MT. Dug gan, for many years connected with the National Amateur Baseball Fed eration, which has had its annual | tournament at Youngstown, Ohio, for the past three years, insists that | the Cleveland team was dealt with unfairly" by the action of the tour nament committee at Washington, after the Cleveland team had won two games. Information relative to one Cleveland boy, Jim Berichon, which the tournament committee had resulted in the disqualification of the team; as the boy, who had a try-out with a Chicago Cub farm team in organized baseball was re- leased on June IS, 1946. A rule of the All-American Association, rela- tive to player eligibility in the na- tional tournament reads that such players, who have had "try-outs' with teams in organized profes- sional baseball, must have been re- leased BEFORE June 15; though part of the same rule reads that player released AFTER June 15, may be reinstated as to amateur standing the following year. The boy. Berichon, had the bad luck to have been released ON June 15, and for that his team was d1squallf1eo after 1t had won two games in the tournament; some of the winners had notified their parents, and families of four boys from Cleveland travelled to Washington on the next day. only to find the team had been disoualifed: at a A. M. meeting of the tournament committee called for that purpose. The Cleveland Amateur Federation spent $40O or the team; it's commercial sponsor s225 more and MT. Duggan $l25 tol transportation, hotel and meals 1ol his wife and himself. In his letter to MT. Martin, Duggan charges that the "strategists" of the tournament committee did not even follow the procedure of your own book o1 rules"
 Relative to the latter statement MT. Duggan informs MT Martll that two other teams from Phlla- delphia and New York played ~ tie game, but were both regarded as winners, for they were drawn II the winners bracket for the nex days games, though the schedui procedure of the tournament has been that winners meet winners and losers meet losers" In' Cleveland baseball association ol' ficial contends that the tie game should have been played of before both teams could be included in tht winners bracket. Both teams hae a representative on the tournamen committee, but Cleveland was no represented by anyone aside ron MT. Duggan to protect that clty'' interests.
 Let Him Play
 AS for the boy in question, he wa allowed to play in two games before charges of ineligibility were brought even though a member o1 tn' tournament committee challenged the boy on the morning of th' first game, the player, Berlchon producing card which showed hl release from Chicago Cub farm team as of June IS. The tourna' ment committee member did noth ing more until the boy had played Monday and Tuesday, then tool part in a committee hearing at A. M. Wednesday morning, Whel MT. Duggan was summoned t' testify as to the players status wltf the Cleveland team.
 Tip-Off
 Duggan further charges, in hi letter to the association chairman MT. Martin, that one team that hat been eliminated, had been told t' "stay over" as there would be ac tion against the Cleveland tean which might (and did result il disqualification.
 The player, Jim Berichon, ha always played with St. Josepl school team of Cleveland befor' and after his try-out with the Chi cago Cub farm team, having beel with them since eligible for tn 12-14 class baseball division play Il Cleveland.
 Waterbury's situation was slight ly different, though the Brooklyn A c. players used by the Franco Americans at Harrisburg, wer