Evening star., 1951-07-29
Ty Cobb First Witness
AT Hearings 10 Study
Antitrust Question
BY Miriam Ottenbero

the subcommittee will hold hear.
1ngS for two weeks and then ad.
Journ until after the World Series
Principal question in the in
Vestlgation is baseball's reserve
clause" combination of contract
provisions and league rules that
binds a player to a club owner
Tor his baseball life or as long
as that owner wants him.
Chairman Celler, Dodger fan,
says he wants to do what's best
Tor baseball. He considers the
suits now pending against organ
lied baseball because of the re
serve clause" sword of Damocles
hanging over the national pastime
Could Ask Exemption.
One idea behind the congress
sional inquiry is that the courts
would decide only whether the
reserve clause" is legal or not
whereas the subcommittee, if it
finds the reserve clause" illegal
but good for baseball, could
recommend exempting the game
from the antitrust laws. Four
bills to that effect already have
been introduced and will be dis
cussed during the hearings.
It's because of the pending
suits that the subcommittee voted
to bar on-the-spot radio and tele-
vision broadcastS as we'll as news
reels. Some of the issues to be
discussed at the hearings are also
raised in the legal actions and the
subcommittee doesn't want to in
fluence prospective jurors.
Cobb is expected to testify only
briefly. He is coming here from
California to recall his expert
ences.
Legal Discussion Next.
After Cobb. the subcommittee
will get down to legal technicali-
ties involving baseball'S history
and structure, the relationship and
agreements between the major
leagues and the minors. the draft
system and the farm clubs, the
role of the high commissioner and
the financial angles of the game
Ford Frick, National League
president. is expected to go into
these details in a long statement.
He will be the second witness to-
morrow and Tuesdays session also
has been reserved for his testi-
mony.
Later this week, the subcom-
mlttee will hear Harry Simmons.
publicity director of the Interna-
tlonal League. and George Traut-
man, president of the National
Association of Baseball Clubs.
A. B. Happy Chandler, who
gave up his Senate seat to become
baseball's high commissioner but
was recently oustec, gets two days
to testify next week. He will be
followed by Ray Fisher. baseball
coach Of the University of Michi-
gan, and Damon Miller, secretary
OF the San Francisco Club of the
Pacific Coast League.
Bills Sponsors to Appear.
Winding up this series of hear
ln9S will be the four sponsors of
baseball bills-Democratic Repre-
s9ntativeS Herlong of Florida. Mills
OF Arkansas and Price of Illinois
and Senator johnson, Democrat.
Of Colorado, president of the West
EN- League.
IIle fall hearings are expected
TO feature major league players
as we'll as sports writer's. The
payers representatives at their
meeting before the All-Star game
approved a resolution backing up
the reserve clause" Sports writ
ers across the Nation were polled
to find out how they feel about it
but the subcommittee has not
announced results of the poll.
The reserve clause" that has
been referred to variously as
"peonage" and vital to TIE con-
tinued life of organized baseball
is based partially on this provl-
sion in players contracts:
"On or before February l.
of the year next following the /
last playing season covered by
this contract, the club may ten
der to the player a contract for
the term of that year by mailing
the same to the player If I
prior to the March l succeeding |.
said February /, the player and
the club have not agreed upon
the terms of such contract, then ,
on or before 10 days after said
March l, the club shall have the
right by written notice to the
player renew this contract !
for the period of one year on the
same terms. except that the
amount payable to the player
shall be such as the club shall [
fix in said notice; provided, how
ever, that said amount, if fixed /
by major league club, shall be
an amount payable at a rate not
less than IS per cent of the rate
stipulated for the preceding year"
Tampering Barred.
Reinforcing this contract pro-
vision are the major league rules
that provide for reserving players
and prohibit tampering. Each
major league club in November
lists up to 40 players under con-
I It to the club whom it wishes
to reserve for the next season.
After those lists are promulgated.
mo player on any list shall peI
eligible to play for or negotiate
with any other club until his con-
tract has been assigned or he has
been released" The "tampering
rule" forbids clubs to negotiate
with players under contract to
other clubs in organized baseball.
Professional baseball has had
some kind of reserve" clause since
1879 when pirating of players
brought an agreement that each
club in the old National League