Clipping:Buying a release; the reserve as a slave mart
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| Date | Sunday, January 20, 1884 |
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| Text | Under the provisions of the reserve rule the Fort Wayne North-western League Club has opened a veritable slave mart, and is selling players to other clubs in about the same manner as heartless auctioneers knocked down human beings to the highest bidder in the old slave times. While the players are not dragged through the streets and put up for public inspection, they are virtually disposed of in about as cruel a manner. They have no voice in the matter, and if their masters, otherwise the managers of the club, decide to sell them to other base-ball organizations, the players are powerless to resist, and must either quietly submit or retire from the ball field entirely. The so-called reserve rule is a one-sided clause, in which the rights of the players are ignored entirely. The business of selling players has been carried by clubs in three older organizations more or less the past three years. From present appearances it looks as though the managers of the Fort Wayne Club had entered the field this season with no other object in view than that of speculating in human beings under the provisions of the obnoxious clause. They have signed thirteen players for next season, and have not paid out a dollar of advance money. Already they have sold three players at figures that will come pretty near paying all the preliminary expenses of the club for next season. Marr Phillips, their short stop, has been sold to the Indianapolis Club, the consideration paid the Fort Wayne Club for his release being $500. There was a lively competition for Scott, the first-baseman, and after some spirited bidding the hammer fell, and the Detroit Club was awarded his services for next season--$250 being the amount paid. Merrill, the third-baseman, is the last candidate to be brought to the block, and any number of clubs are after him. It is understood that the Chicago Club has the lead in the race with a bid of $500. |
| Source | Cincinnati Enquirer |
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| Submitted by | Richard Hershberger |
| Origin | Initial Hershberger Clippings |
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