Clipping:The California League and the National Agreement; a refuge from the blacklist
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| Date | Wednesday, January 9, 1889 |
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| Text | [from Waller Wallace's column] [reporting the California League convent of 12/13/1888] A very important matter which now arose was the question as to 3whether the League should join the National League Alliance or not. A letter was read from President Young urging the necessity of the League becoming a member and advanced many reasons. All were from an Eastern standpoint, however. After a great deal of discussion the matter was laid over until the spring meeting, when it will be finally acted upon. A good “hit “ was made by Robinson [of the Oaklands] when he said-- “Where one man will go East ten will come out here, so I think it better to remain as we are.” The Sporting Life January 9, 1889 [from the Kansas City correspondent] Your note of alarm, aimed at the California League, is very timely. It is high time that the League and Association were taking some action toward bringing these people under the National Agreement. The California League is certainly proving not only inconvenient but dangerous. This is to be noticed in a hundred ways. The “coast” league is especially disagreeable to Western clubs. For instance, Kansas City is having trouble right now with a lot of its young blood players. For instance, there are Johnson and Hammond, who were sold to St. Joseph, who say they will not go. Each has an offer to play on the “coast,” and insists that he will accept it. … McCarty said that if he jumped the reserve list and played on the “coast,” he had no fear of the blacklist. He talked pretty confidently, and it looks somewhat as if California League managers who had been making offers to reserved players, have been posting them as to the probable consequences of their actions. The Sporting Life January 16, 1889 [editorial matter] Contract-breaking is one of the graver offenses for the perpetration of which ball players rarely escape some degree of punishment. Catcher Ebright, just signed by the Washington Club, however, is an instance of how, through a peculiar construction of base ball law, a contract-breaker can profit by his offense and escape without the slightest punishment. Ebright, together with third baseman Whitehead, last winter signed with the Lynn Club, of the New England League, upon promise of certain sums of advance monies. After their contracts had been signed, however, the Lynn Club refused to pay the promised advance money, and, notwithstanding repeated demands, persisted in such refusal. About this time the case of pitcher Irwin came up before the Board of Arbitration, in which Chairman Rogers decided that the payment of advance money in minor leagues was not illegal, and would have to be taken into consideration in all cases where it entered as a condition of contract. Ebright and Whitehead, misinterpreting this decision, notified the Lynn club of their intention to ignore their contracts for failure to pay the promised advance money. The Lynn Club appealed to the Board of Arbitration and the latter body decided against the players upon the ground that while the club was in honor bound to fulfill its promise of advance money, yet it could not be compelled to pay the same, as the players by signing before receiving the money insisted upon as a condition of signing, had virtually waived their claims. The two players refused to accept this decision as binding, and in violation of their contracts with Lynn, went to California, signed with a California League Club, and played there all of last season at good salaries. The Lynn Club suspended Ebright and Whitehead. Like all minor league club,s however, Lynn had no power to blacklist these men, and the penalty of suspension inflicted, could, under Act III, of the Qualified Articles of the National Agreement then in force, run only to the end of the current season. Secretary Byrne, of the Board of Arbitration, in reply to an inquiry respecting the case, holds, however, that the Lynn Club, having the right to reserve its players under contract, could hold these men as reserved men, and they would have been this year in precisely the same position as blacklisted players. However, the Lynn Club met with disaster last season and disbanded, and having no existence and having failed to send in any list of its reserved players, there can be no doubt that the recent legislation in no way affects these players and that they are, through the death of the Lynn Club, again in good standing, and eligible to play with any National Agreement club, although no atonement has been made by them. This glaring case serves to accentuate The Sporting Life's remarks as to the necessity of promptly bringing the California League into the National Agreement fold. Under present conditions this League is a menace, and if not absorbed, bids fair to become a refuge for reckless, dissatisfied and rebellious Eastern players, especially those in the minor leagues. The California League is a growing institution of fair financial strength, supports strong teams, pays good, even large, salaries, and receives excellent support. It is, therefore, a tempting field for the operations of contract-breakers, and the cases of Ebright and Whitehead are likely to be duplicated, in view of the apparent impmunity, which even the recent legislation enacted by the Board of Arbitration to specially cover the California League situation cannot counteract half so well as the legislators seem to think. Reserve jumpers cannot be reached at all by base ball law, for the reason that reserve jumping is not an offence punishable by the blacklist and because minor league reservation is not perpet5ual, but in the case of unsigned players falls at the end of a season. Already two players under reservation by National Agreement clubs,--Baker and Alvord—have taken advantage of this peculiar state of affairs and have defiantly signed with California clubs; and, we are reliably informed, many more reserved minor players are even now negotiating with a view to following in the footsteps of the two seceders. An attempt gas already been made to bring the California League into the National Agreement fold, but the advances of the Board of Arbitration have been received with indifference. It now behooves the Board to act with promptitude and decision in order to check practices which may lead to the demoralization of minor league clubs and players. The National Agreement is essential to the welfare and good conduct of base ball. Every reputable organization now lives, moves and has its being under it, the California League alone being an exception. For the good of the game this League must be put on record promptly as either for or against the National Agreement and treated accordingly. If its officials are wise, hope for permanency for their organization, and have the best interests of the game at hear, they will not delay install the California League as a member of the great family of base ball leagues. The Sporting Life January 16, 1889 [from A. G. Ovens's column] It is quite evident that something must be done to check the dishonorable methods that are being employed by managers on the Pacific coast. The big organizations will probably not suffer much on account of these pirates, but the minor leagues are in danger of being greatly crippled. The California managers cannot offer enough to induce League or American Association players to jump, but this is not the case with the smaller and weaker organizations, especially since they have adopted salary limits. Already several young players have gone to the coast, and others threaten to do so. Of curse this state of affairs cannot exist long without harm to the game generally. The players who are falling into this trap will regret it at no distant day. Sooner or later the California League will be compelled to come under the protection of the National Agreement, and then those rash and misguided young men will realize their mistake. The California managers who engage in this discreditable business will see their error, too, some of these days. The Sporting Life January 23, 1889 |
| Source | The Sporting Life |
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| Submitted by | Richard Hershberger |
| Origin | Initial Hershberger Clippings |
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