Clipping:The need for the International Association
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| Date | Saturday, December 23, 1876 |
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| Text | The movement in favor of the organiztion of the International Professional Baseball Association has received quite an impetus by the action of the League convention. A preliminary meeting of club delegates in favor of the proposed organization is to be held shortly in Philadelphia. That is the proper place for the convention of all the “outside” professional clubs. New York Clipper December 23, 1876 All that legitimate amateur clubs need in a national association is simply an institution which will give them an official code of playing-rules; and this they now have in the form of the League code; but with the class of co-operative professional clubs something else is requires, and that is an association which will govern every club of their class, and by its laws not only oblige players to abide by their contracts, but so regulate other matters of special interest to their class as to give them the needed protection to make it safe for subscribers to invest in their clubs. It is very plain to see that, if Messrs. Jones, Brown and Robinson stand ready to subscribe $50 to a fund to organize a representative co-operative nine for their town or city, it is only on the condition that they shall be insured against the risk of a loss of their capital by the breaking-up of their club team through “revolving” or the violation of agreements by players. But how can this be done except through the medium of an established association possessing the power to inflict proper penalties for such violations of contracts? A club belonging to no influential association raises $5,000, wherewith to get together a good playing nine. They engage players under written contracts. The nine soon distinguishes itself; and, not long after, some rival club of its class breaks in upon its team with tempting offers to its leading player or players, and away goes its strength, with the consequence of a sacrifice of the capital of the club. The only binding power of the written contract is the player's sense of honor, and experience has shown in many instances that this is not always to be relied upon. But when the club is attached to a strong association, and has it in its power to expel a player for violation of his agreement, and thereby throw him out of all field-work for the season, then the club has a guarantee for the good conduct of its players. It is plain, therefore, that it is to the interest of ever professional club—co-operative or gate-money amateur—to belong to an established and responsible association, and such an institution cannot well exist without the active assistance of nearly every regular professional club in the county. New York Clipper December 30, 1876 |
| Source | New York Clipper |
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| Submitted by | Richard Hershberger |
| Origin | Initial Hershberger Clippings |
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