Clipping:A condemnation of the reserve; George Wright's hold out; proposal for a salary cap

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Date Saturday, October 23, 1880
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For some years past a puzzling problem to the League Association has been that involved in the question of how to regulate the salary-list of their professionals so as to make it accord with paying returns at the gate. The yearly struggle to secure the best professional talent has resulted in the increase of salaries from simply remunerative figures up to “fancy prices.” ... Finally a rule was adopted which gave to each League club the power to hold five men of one season’s team to service for a succeeding year at such terms as each club holding them might think fit to offer. The rules was made so as to be mandatory to the extent that the player refusing to abide by it was prohibited from employment in any League Club save the one reserving his services. The arbitrary character of this rule was fully exhibited in the case of George Wright’s engagement with the Providence team in 1880, that player being practically ruled off League fields as a player because he refused to accede to the reservation policy the past season. While it is to a certain extend a necessity with stockholders of clubs to economize as much as possible in the way of ou8tlays for salaries, it is also possible to adopt such a method for controlling salary-lists without resorting to so objectionable a law as the existing five-men rule. The same united action of the clubs required to carry out the five-men law would prove equally effective in the case of a regular limitation of salaries to figures commensurate with the sum of the annual gate-receipt account. Thus it might be easily determined that no club should pay more than $1,200 a season for a pitcher or catcher’s services, nor more than $1,000 a season for those of the in and out fie4lders; but a law which admits of so gross a piece of tyranny as that contemplated by the League in the case of forcing Snyder to play with the Boston Club or no other is one which is a disgrace to the League code.

Source New York Clipper
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Submitted by Richard Hershberger
Origin Initial Hershberger Clippings

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