Are Major League Baseball
Contracts Fair To Players?
AP Newsfeatures .
NEW YORK—Are major league
baseball contracts fair to the play
er?
This question will be argued a
lot on the street and even in the
courts between now and the next
year.
It is the result of Danny Gar-
della’s $300,000 suit against the
New York Giants for whom he
played two years during the war.
The Court of Appeals reversed
a dismissal and sent the case
back to District Court for trial
on Gardella’s two principal char
ges:
1. That baseball is a “monopoly”
because the “reserve clause” in
contracts of all players under the
jurisdiction of organized ball binds
him to one club and prevents him
from bargaining with another club.
2. That baseball should come
under the jurisdiction of the Clay
ton anti-trust law because teams
in organized ball, with the large
fees received for broadcasts and
telecasts of games, are now en
gaging in interstate commerce
when accounts of games are trans
mitted across state lines.
The case will take six months
to a year to go to trial, says
Frederic A. Johnson, Gardella’s
lawyer. Gardella, 29, is a $36-a-
week hospital orderly in Mount
Vernon, N. Y. He hit .272 for
the 1945 Giants, driving in 71
runs in 121 games, was subse-
It’s in paragraph 7 under paren
theses (b) and reads:
“The Club may terminate this
contract upon written notice to the
Player (but only after requesting
and obtaining waivers of this con
tract from all other Major League
Clubs) if the Player shall at any
time:
“(1) Fail, refuse or neglect to
conform his personal conduct to
the standards of good citizenship
and good sportsmanship or to
keep himself in first class phy
sical condition or to obey the
Club’s training rules: or
“(2) Fail, in the opinion of the
Club’s management, to exhibit suf
ficient skill or competitive ability
to qualify or continue a sa mem
ber of the Club’s team o;r
“(3) Fail, refuse, or neglect to
render his services hereunder or
in any other manner materially
breach this contract.”
Sub-paragraph (e) of paragraph
7 is a longwinded clause. In part,
it says, “if this contract is termi
nated under sub-paragraph (b)
(2) of this paragraph 7 for fail
ure to exhibit sufficient skill or
competitive ability, the Player
shall be entitled to an additional
amount equal to thirty (30) days
payment at the rate stipulated in
paragraph 2 hereof and the reason
able traveling expenses of the
player to his home.”
In other words a club can drop
a player and the club’s only ob-
ver request, any other Major
League club may claim assign
ment of this contract at a wai
ver price of $1.00, the priority
of claims to be determined in
accordance with the Major Lea
gue Rules.”
Some baseball men are surprised
that baseball itself failed to alter
drastically the wording of the re
serve or rennewal clause after 1946
when a dozen or more players
jumped to the Mexican League.
Some contract changes were
made, however slight. One was the
mailing date of contracts. Con
tracts formerly were mailed out
by Feb. 15. Now they are mailed
Feb. 1 or sooner.
A change was made in the
termination rule. Clubs could void
a contract upon 10 days’ written
notice to the player. Now a con
tract can be terminated in less
time than it takes a club’s gen
eral manager to dictate an un
conditional release to his secre
tary.
A number of players have been
questioned regarding the reserve
clause. Most of them are satisfied
as 'it stands. Some would like to
spe modifications. Joe Gordon,
Cleveland second baseman, feels
the players will get together and
work out a plan if the court rules
the reserve clause illegal.
Are baseball contracts fair? It
looks like the courts will have to
decide.
Renewal lO. (a) On or before February 1st (or if a Sunday, then the next preceding business day) of the year
next following the last playing season covered by this contract, the Club may tender to the Player a contract
for the term of that year.by mailing the same to the Player at his address following his signature hereto, or if
none be given, then at his last address of record with the Club. If prior to the March 1 next succeeding said
February 1, the Player and the Club have not agreed upon the terms of such contract, then on or before 10
days after said March 1, the Club shall have the right by written notice to the Player at said address to 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, however, that said amount, if fixed by a Major League
Club, shall be an amount payable at a rate not less than 75% of the rate stipulated for the preceding
ksuWtoraer? -h-iaY.oJE-tli.h^k''''
* quently suspended by the Giants
and “jumped” to the Mexican
League. This led to a five-year
suspension from organized base
ball and made Gardella virtually
ineligible to play even semi-pro
ball.
Here are two paragraphs taken
from the major leagues rules:
“Rule 3: Uniform Contract—(a)
To preserve morale and to pro
duce the similarity of conditions
necessary to keen competition, the
contracts between all clubs and
their players in the Major League
shall be in a single form which
shall be prescribed by the Major
League Executive Council. No club
shall make a contract different
from the uniform contract or a
contract containing a non-reserve
clause, except with the written ap
proval of the Major. League Exe
cutive Council. All contracts shall
be in duplicate and the player shall
retain a counterpart original. The
making of any agreement between
a club and a player not embodied
in the contract shall subject both
parties to discipline; and no such
agreement, whether written or
verbal, shall be recognized or en
forced.
“Rule 4: Reserve Lists: Filing—
(a) On or before November 1 in
each year each Major League club
shall transmit to the Commission
er and to its League President a
list of not exceeding forty (40)
active and eligible players, also
list of coaches, scouts and trainer,
excluding non-playing manager,
which players and personnel the
club desires to reserve for the en
suing season; and also a list of all
its players who have been pro
mulgated as placed on the National
Defense Service, Government, vol
untarily retired, suspended or in
eligible list. On or before Novem
ber 15 the League President shall
transmit all of said lists to the
Secretary-Treasurer of the Execu
tive Council, who shall thereupon
promulgate same, and thereafter
no player on any list shall be eligi
ble to play for or negotiate with
any other club until his contract
has been assigned or he has been
released.”
When a baseball player signs
a one-year contract he actually is
signing for the duration of his
playing career. This item is cov
ered in baseball contracts under
a marginal heading (paragraph
10) termed “Renewal.”
In other words, if a player does
not sign a contract by March 1
following his previous season of
employment ,he is obligated to ac
cept his previous year’s salary. If
the club wishes to do so, it can
cut his salary 25 per cent on his
new contract.
On all baseball contracts there’s
a termination clause. Players are
well acquainted with this clause.
ligation is to pay the player 30
day’s salary and reasonable trav
eling expenses.
In the same paragraph 7 under
parentheses (f) the contract says:
“If the Club proposes to termi
nate this contract in accordance
with sub-paragraph (b) of this
paragraph 7, the procedure shall
be as follows:
“(1) The Club shall request wai
vers from all other Major League
clubs. Such waiver request must
state that it is for the purpose of
terminating this contract and it
may not be withdrawn.
“(2) Upon receipt of the wai-
Tigers Win Over
Jewett 46 - 35
District Title
The A&M Consolidated Tigers
are basketball champions of Dist.
61-B as the result of a 46-35 win
over the Jewett Eagles last Thurs
day night. The Tigers had pre
viously defeated the Eagles 45-40
in the first game of the district
play-off.
Leading scorers for the win
ners were Red Cushion with 18
points and James Prewitt with
12. Langrone of the Eagles tall
ied 22 points to take high point
honors for the game.
The last time that Consolidated
won a district title in basketball
was during the 1945-46 season.
Thursday night’s win over Jew
ett gave the Tigers the right to
represent their district in the Re
gional Basketball Tournament to
be held in Huntsville this weekend.
HOGS-FROGS SCORING
The box:
HOLIDAY
An Adventure in
Good Smoking
Arkansas
G
F
P
P
Cathcart, f
4
1
4
9
Horton, f ..
2
2
3
6
Coleman, f
0
0
0
0
Price, f
1
1
0
3
Ambler, c ...
5
4
2
14
Schumyk, c
0
0
0
0
Kearns, g ...
5
3
2
13
Campbel, g
3
6
3
12
Williams, g
2
0
0
4
Hudspeth, g
3
0
0
6
Totals
25
17
14
67
TCU
G
F
P
P
Moran, f
1
0
2
2
Kudlaty, f ...
5
1
2
11
Young, f ....
2
2
2
6
Craig, f
1
0
1
2
Lee, f
1
0
0
2
Dolnics, c
5
5
5
15
Hendricks, c
2
0
0
4
Schmidt, g
3
2
2
8
Burton, g ..
0
0
3
0
Bond, g
0
2
0
2
Totals ....
20
12
.17
52
Halftime
score:
Arkansas
28,
TCU 23.
Free throws missed: Cathcart
2, Horton 2, Ambler 2, Campbell,
Kudlaty, Dolnics, Hendricks,
Schmidt 2, Burton 2.
Officials—Ab Curtis and John
Lance.
Curling, played on natural or ar
tificial ice, resembles lawn bowl
ing and deck shuffleboard.
JC Cage Flag Eyed
By Tyler This Year
TYLER, Tex., Feb. 21 —(TP)—
Floyd Wagstaff, head coach at
Tyler Junior College, has in 14
years of coaching basketball in
high schools and Junior College,
amassed what is probably one of
the finest records in the state.
During his all-time coaching ca
reer, the stocky Apache mentor
has led his charges to victory 355
times while being defeated in only
50 games.
This year, Wagstaff appears
to have collected his “dream
team.” His Apache cagers have
already won their second straight
Southwestern Junior College
Conference title by defeating 12
straight conference opponents.
There are two more games re
maining on their schedule, but
the Apaches’ nearest opponent
has already suffered three de
feats, two at the hands of the
Apaches.
Included in the list of victims
so far this season are such teams
as the Freshmen of Rice, Baylor,
and Texas A&M, the Freshmen of
North Texas State Teachers Col
lege and the Freshmen of Sam
Houston State Teachers College.
Last week the Wagstaff men troun
ced the wandering House of David
'cagers 78 to 49.
This year the amazing Apaches
have averaged better than 69
points in 23 contests so far this
season. They have one victory of
108 to 23 against Le Tourneau
Tech of Longview.
However, the Apaches have
failed to maintain a perfect rec
ord this year in their third game
of the season, they lost to the
SMU Freshmen, 67 to 46.
They have scored a total of 1601
points to 952 for their 23 oppon
ents.
This year, with the conference
crown already won, the Apaches
are looking forward to another
shot at the national tournament.
They will enter the regional meet
in Lake Charles, La., in March.
Pictured above are members of the A&M basketball team of the 1948-49 season. Seated on the
front row from left to right are Syden Hrachovy, Wallace Moon, Truett Mobley, Sam Jenkins, Gene
Schrickel, Jackie Miller, Jewell McDowell, and Bill Batey. Standing from left to right are Jim O’
Connell, manager; Marvin Martin, Robert Allen, John DeWitt, Ben Evans, Jim Kirkland, Bill Turnbow
and Coach Marty Karow.
S
Battalion
PORT
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 1949
s
Page 5
College Station To
Hold City Election
The City of College Station will
hold a general election, Tuesday,
April 5, to fill three city council
posts, N. M. McGinnis, city secre
tary, said today.
A. Mitchell has been named elec
tion judge.
The election will be held in the
council room of the city building.
Polls will open at 8 a. m. and
close at 6 p. m.
“Only duly qualified voters who
are residents of the City of Col
lege Station shall be allowed to
vote,” McGinnis said.
Mississippi’s freshman basket
ball team hails from seven states
—Mississippi, Illinois, Pennsylva
nia, Tennessee, Florida, Indiana
and Georgia.
High Champs Prepare For
State Basketball Tourney
By The Associated Press
High school district basketball champions—Class AA,
A and B—this week bid for places in the state tournament
at Austin.
City conference schools — those from Dallas, San An
tonio, Houston and Fort Worth—:+
will compete in their own tourna
ment at Houston, March 11-12.
The lineup for bi-district play in
Class AA is complete:
Some of the district champions
in Class A and B have not yet
been certified by, the Interscho
lastic League office. All, how
ever, will be in action in tourna
ments or series this week which
will determine the field for the
state tournaments next week.
Brownwood, winner in Class 7-
AA, and Texas City, winner in
Class 12-AA, are assured spots in
the Double A state meet. They
drew byes in bi-district play.
The lineup for Class AA bi
district series: (Some series sites
not set).
Lubbock (distict - champion) vs.
Childress (2).
Lamesa (3) vs. Bowie of El
Paso (4). Three game series starts
Thursday at Lamesa.
Bonham (5) vs. Highland Park
of Dallas (6). First game of
three game series at Dallas to
morrow night.
Texarkana (8) vs. Waco (9).
First game of three game series
at Texarkana tomorrow.
Nacogdoches (10) vs. Port Ar
thur (11).
Austin (13) vs. Harlingen (14).
First of three game series at Har
lingen Tuesday.
Most of these series will be on
a home-and-home basis, with the
extra game—if needed—at the
site of the second tilt.
Harlingen won its third district
title in as many years, but Cardi
nals have added problem now.
Center Buddy Caulk broke out
with chicken pox Sunday. Team
supporters were worrying the
rest of the team might catch
the ailment.
Some of the Class AA and B
champions which have been re
corded are:
Class A
District 6, Colorado City; 7,
Coleman; 9, Olney; 10, Nocona;
HOGAN IMPROVING
EL PASO, Feb. 22 —(^—Phy
sicians today informed Ben Hogan
the golfer, that he may be able to
return to his Fort Worth Tex.,
home in a few days.
Hogan is recovering at a hos
pital from injuries received in a
car-bus collision Feb. 2 near Van
Horn, Texas.
11, Birdville; 12, Pleasant Grove
(Dallas); 13, Cooper; 14, Hooks;
18, Canton; 19, Gatesville; 21,
Cameron; 24, San Marcos; 26,
French (Beaumont); 29, Sinton;
30, Mercedes; 31, Hot Wells (San
Antonio); 32, Uvalde.
Class B
District 1, Stratford; 3, Samnor-
wood; 4, Carey; 10, Dawson; 15,
Eula; 18, South Taylor; 19, Herm-
leigh; 28, Prairie Valley (Nocona)
33, Seagoville; 36, State Home
(Corsicana); 39, Crawford; 41,
Forreston; 42, Blossom; 44, Oma
ha; 45, Holes Home; 47, Maydelle;
48, New Diana; 50, Sabine (Glade-
water) ; 51, East Mountain; 53,
Cayuga; 57, China; 61, A&M Con
solidated (College Station); 70,
Bartlett; 77, Saan Felipe; 80, Port
Lavaca; 85, Port Isabel; 88, Mar
fa; 89, Clint.
Kentucky Ranks
As No. 1 Cage
Team of Nation
NEW YORK, Feb. 22 —(TP)—
Kentucky continues to convince; the
basketball experts that it is the
best college team in the country
with a dozen straight victories
since its December loss to St. Louis
University.
The fifth weekly Associated
Press poll gives the wildcats (20-1)
a wide edge over runner up St.
Louis as the season approaches
the tournament stage.
Of the 84 writers and sports-
casters participating, sixty-four
picked Kentucky for the no. 1
spot. Only 13 preferred St. Louis
which led the poll for the first
two weeks. It is the third
straight time Kentucky has been
out front.
Last week the first place vote
was much closer, 47-13, but Ken
tucky continues to pick up sup
port by overpowering the opposi
tion. A lopsided 96-50 triumph over
Xavier of Cincinnati served to con
vince the skeptics.
St. Louis bumped off Notre
Dame, 61-44, in its only start, last
week, but bowed to Ohio State 68
to 60 Monday night.
The Oklahoma Aggies, cling to
third place by a slender seven-
point margin over Illinois. Okla-
Porkers Lead
Race for Loop
Cage Laurels
By The Associated Press
Arkansas is just two steps and
a jump away from the Southwest
Conference Basketball champion
ship.
Rice and Texas A&M are the
only remaining barriers in the Ra-
zoi-back’s path. And only Rice is
rated capable of beating the Pork
ers.
Arkansas moved into a strong
position to grab the crown last
week while Rice, Texas and Baylor
were knocking each other around.
Baylor nosed out Rice, 55-54,
but lost a share of the lead on a
31-36 loss to Texas.
Texas, Baylor and Rice are
deadlocked for second place and
the outcome of the weird confer
ence race practically hinges on the
results of two games this week:
Rice-Texas and Rice-Arkansas.
Wednesday, Rice and Texas bat
tle for survival in the title chase.
The loser can just about close its
hope chest.
NO matter the outcome of the
Texas-Rice game, the race hinges
on whether Arkansas can whip
Rice. A victory for the Razorbacks
will just about clinch the title. A
defeat will give a statistician
nightmares.
The “big” teams aren’t figured
to have much trouble with other
foes this week.
Baylor meets Southern Metho
dist Wednesday at Dallas and Tex
as A&M Saturday at Waco.
Texas faces Texas Christian at
Austin Satui’day.
The season will be over next
week.
Rice’s star center, Bill Tom,
took over leadership in individual
scoring for season and conference
competition last week.
He shot ahead of Slater Martin
of Texas in season scoring with
337 points to 308. He replaced
Julius Dolnics of Texas Christian
in conference scoring, 165 points
to 146.
In other games last week, Rice
dumped Texas Christian, 62-44;
Texas beat Texas A&M 56-44, and
Arkansas downed Southern Meth
odist, 47-39.
Razorbacks Defeat
TCU Frogs, 67-52
By The Associated Press
Arkansas’ Razorbacks last night cleared the first of
three hurdles in their path to the Southwest Conference has
ketball championship. They beat Texas Christian, 67-52.
The victory gave the Porkers eight victories against
two defeats. They face Rice Saturday and end the season
next week against Texas A&M. +
Arkansas scored first early in
the initial period and was never
behind. However, TCU cut the
Razorback lead to three points late
in the first half.
Halftime score was Arkansas
28, TCU 23.
Then in the first three min
utes of the second half, the
Frogs chilled anxious Hog back
bones by pulling up to within
one point of the Arkansas five,
making the score read 32 to 31.
However, the Razorbacks took
the hint, sharpened their shooting
eyes and walked off and left the
Frogs, who never threatened
again.
High scorer for the night was
Frog center Julius (Daddy) Dol
nics with 15 points. Bob Ambler,
Hog center, led the Arkansas at
tack with 14 points.
Two games are on tap tomor
row. Texas and Rice tangle at
Houston and Southern Methodist
and Baylor at Dallas.
The hectic conference race reach
ed some sort of a climax last Sat
urday night at” Waco when a group
of fans shoved referee Ziggy Sears
after the Texas-Baylor game,
which Texas won, 36-31.
James H. Stewart, executive
secretary of the conference, yes
terday termed the incident an
“indictment against the support
ers of intercollegiate athletics.”
Stewart witnessed the action.
A group of fans surrounded
Sears after the game and shoved
him back against the scorers’ ta
ble. Baylor athletic director Ralph
Wolfe and' Baylor coach Bill Hen
derson came to his aid and escort
ed him to the dressing room.
Stewart said “the athletic au
thorities at Baylor are to be"com-
mended for their prompt control
of the situation which averted a
possibly more serious incident.”
Shown pushing off the bank in
the backstroke is Ed Kruse, >vho
thus far this season has two
wins to his credit; he will be
out for his third against Baylor
in Waco this Thursday.
Best Wrestling Action Yet
Seen in Quarter Final Bouts
If the quarter finals are any indication of quality match
es, then the forthcoming'semi-finals in Intramural Wrest
ling are going to be high class exhibitions.
Twenty bouts of the quarter finals were run off Mon
day Now it’s up to 24 husky contestants to see who gets a
further crack at the winner’s belt.4-
There were numerous outstand
ing instances Monday afternoon.
Fastest time of the afternoon was
recorded as Dick Mikeska of ATC
pinned George Battin of “F” Air
Force in 41 seconds. Both lads are
in the 149 pound class.
Outfought but not outfoxed
was Bill Parse of “B” Engi
neers. He lost on a pin to Clar
ence Trenckmann of Law in 4
minutes and 59 seconds. One sec
ond more and the match would
have been decided on points.
Trenckmann had Parse nearly
pinned but with his hand free.
So Parse reached up and tapped
Trenckmann on the shoulder
and was immediately released,
Trenckmann believing that ref
eree Barney Welch had signified
a fall. Parse bounced away un
pinned but Welch awarded two
points to Trenckmann for a near
fall.
Rugged action from top to bot
tom was seen in the 179 pound
class. Joe Pate of “F” Flight got
a body lock on Joe Bonnot of “C”
Infantry, hoisted Bonnot to his
shoulders and whirled him in a
airplane spin for a half dozen times
before dropping him to the, can
vas. It was all over for Bonnet in
five seconds more than a minute.
Here are the results by classes:
In the 129 pound class, Curly
Penn pinned Delouche Martin and
Frank Sheffield won on points over
Bob Garcia.
The 149 pound class found
Trammell, ‘C’ Field, winner over
Bodine of ‘A’ Flight. Otto Yel-
ton outpointed Monte Currie
and Wally Wooten did the same
to Max Word. Harold Springfield
pinned Cliff McGowen of “C”
Air Force in one minute and
forty-five seconds.
(See WRESTLING, Page 6)
Look What My Wife
Saved
You can save a “pretty penny” too by
having your clothes cleaned the modern
“dry cleaning” way. Three big advan
tages . . . garments last longer, retain
trim-fit and original color.
Campus Cleaners
“Over The Exchange Store”
World Series Pics
Will Be Shown
Tonight at 7:30 p. m. in Room
301, Goodwin Hall, movies of the
1948 baseball World Series will be
shown. These movies are sponsored
by the American and National Lea
gues of Professional baseball. The
public is cordially invited.
The Chicago Cubs finished the
1948 National League season last
in the standings and last in home
run production. They hit 87.
Addition of the morning line to
Hialeah’s printed program this sea
son has been enthusiastically re
ceived.
homa University smothered the
Aggies, 54-41, Friday in a ma
jor upset. Illinois chalked up two
western conference triumphs ov
er Northwestern and Ohio State
to narrow the gap.
So now it’s the big four instead
of the big three. The point score,
with ten for a first place vote,
nine for second and so on down to
one for tenth, finds Kentucky 805,
St. Louis, 741, Oklahoma A&M
578 and Illinois 571.
T
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HASWELL’S
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: I the Little Gym as he tags MIKESKA the winner.
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