Newspapers / The Cooleemee Journal (Cooleemee, … / June 10, 1970, edition 1 / Page 8
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8 -CMAMMM Jwhiml, WadMafcy, JMM 10,1970 ■ BILL CURRIEMMB Mouth I of the South I Baseball Slavery Organized baseball's defense against the anti-trust suit brought by former St. Louis star Curt Flood has been a querulous and irrevelant diatribe by a conglomeration of frightened and greedy men. Ob viously from the whimpering tone of their sworn assertions, they are afraid somebody is about to lick the stripes right off their candy. As one who is easily moved to tears, I have been sniffing and subbii* through the whole trial as one after another bloated millionaire took the stand to weep to the judge that he wouldn't have invested in baseball except he believed it was exempted from the anti-trust law. Rot! Ob cross examination several admitted they had invested in basketball and football, neither of which has aay slave-holdiag reserve claase. One actually told the court, and under oath mind you, that he wanted the reserve clause kept in baseball because without it salaries for the players would go down. This guy ought to be indicted for perjury! Any baseball official who can think of a way to lower salaries puts it into immediate operation. The Reserve Clause (If you don't know what the reserve clause is: A baseball player signs with a team for the life of his career. He cannot quit, but the team my fire him any time it chooses. It may also trade him without con sultation to any other major league club, and if all the big league teams agree, he may be traded down into the minors. He may ,4 negotiate M for his salary each year, but lacking the trump card of 'I quit'! he lacks any coercive power one® the team digs in. A player is very like a horse or a used car, and is frequently abused worse than either.) What makes the testimony so ridiculous in its effort to win judicial approval of baseball's operation is that it is sniveling and petty. The question is not whether baseball needs the reserve clause, or even that the grand old boring, hidebound national pasttime would perish without it. The only question is: Does the reserve clause constitute a violation of the Sherman Anti-Trust Law, and does it violate the constitutional rights of Curt Flood and all other baseball players? Anyone with an ounce of legal perception, and with an iota of fair mindedness can readily perceive that the reserve clause is manifestly illegal, and does criminal violence to the rights of the players. Greedy, Unfair Owners Baseball ownership has always been greedy and unfair to its employes. Of course, there are a few big salaried players, but by and large, playing baseball is a poor way to make a living. Somehow the magnates who own it all have managed to equate the great old game with the flag, motherhood, and apple pie. But the phony qualities of it all have begun to smell. Professional baseball owners are in it for one thing: Money. There's nothing wrong with a pecuniary motivation, but it is certainly reprehensible to lie about one's motives, and try to lard one's selfishness with a putrid cloak of hypocrisy. Why should baseball or any other commercial operation be allowed to form Inula when 11 la Ulepl for General Electk or American Metera? For it haa been conclusively demonstrated that no such Illegal and immoral arrangement is needed for the successful operation of a professional sports league. Both football and hasksrhaii have option clauses, but a player can become a free agent after he plays out his option, and players on multiple year contracts cannot be fired unless they are paid off. The shadows are lengthening for the oldtime baseball myths, and not a moment too soon. Twin Cedars Announces Golf Tourney Pairings Pairings for Ist Round Play Off in the 2nd annual Twin Cedar Golf Champion ship Tournament Playoff time Mon day, June Bth through Sunday, June 14th. Robin Benson was medalist with a even par 70 for 18 holes qualifying. The Defending Champion is Jim Miller of Salisbury. Championship Flight Pairings: Robert Taylor vs Jim Carter Von Shelton vs Kenny Mabe Jim Miller vs Robin Benson Paul Randleman vs Bob Shelton Ist Flight Pairings: Bob Benson vs Larry Hendricks Mac Deadmon vs Ross Wands Hayden Myers vs Kenny Jordan Winston-Salem State Awards Ijames Grant James Ijames, • two-time Journal and Sentinel All- Northwest basketball player from Davie County High School, has signed a grant-in-aid with Winston-Salem State Univer sity. C. E. (Bighouse) Gaines, athletic director and basketball coach at Winston-Salem State, said Ijames would play both basketball and track for the Rams. The 6-5, 179-pounder whose home is in Cooleemee, averaged 22 points a game for Davie County this past season. He was named to the all-North Pied mont Conference team and will play in the East-West all-star game at Greensboro this summer. In track, Ijames has run the 100-yard dash in 9.8, the 120- yard high hurdles in :15.1, the 180. low hurdles in :20.65 and the 220-yard dash in :22.4. Ralph Earnhardt Wins At G>ncord CONCORD - Ralph Ear nhardt of Kannapolis captured the main event in late-model division racing at the Concord Speedway on Saturday night. He drove a 1969 Camaro to the victory". . Haywood Plyler of Kannapolis was second in a 1967 Ford, while Bill Scott of Cross, S C., took third in a 1965 Chevrolet Jerry Waller of Woodleaf won the Charger division in a 1955 Chevrolet. Carl Reeves of Cooleemee was second, also driving a '55 Chevrolet. Charlie Mcßride of Lexington took third in a '55 Ford. Racing will be held at Concord again next Saturday night, beginning at 7 p.m. Doc Kanupp's Funeral Held HICKORY Funeral ser vices ware bald bare Monday for Chariae E. (Doc) Kanupp, 83, e well-known baseball um pire In the Piedmont and West ern eree of North Caroline. Kanupp was killed late last Friday night In Greenville, S. C., when his car struck a bridge Ha was returning from umpir ing a Western Carollnaa League baseball game In South Caro lina. Kanupp umpired many base hell games at Salisbury's New man Perk whan the locel teem wea a member of the WCL He was also en oflldel far besket bell end footbell games in the area. r HKJ 'j BRVIH I I want the I I Cooleemee Journal I I for oaly s4* per year! I (MUM) (Street, Box or Route) 1 l (TLw> Boone Trexler vs Woodrow Mabe 2nd Flight Pairings: Ronnie Shoaf vs Jim Whitaker George Daywalt vs Bill Shoaf Harold Wilson vs Dicky Nail Jerry Shore vs Bob Knight 3rd Flight Pairings: David Jordan vs Bob Henry Robert Allen vs J. C. Eaves Pat McClamrock vs Mickey Adams Joe Whitlock vs Jim Ellenburg 41k Flight Pairings: John Crowder vs Ben Moore Jack Nichols vs Robert Hendrix Mike Jordan vs Nick Mandox Don Goodwin vs Don Forrest "He has more promise than anyone we have picked up from this area in a long time," Gaines said. "He is outstanding ' in two sports. "Ijames is an exceptional leaper and as soon as he picks up some weight he will be a good rehounder. He is an ex cellent shooter and handles the ball well for a big man." Gaines said he felt Ijames' best potential in track was as a hurdler. Ijames has not yet been ac cepted by the admissions board at Winston-Salem State. He is the first freshman basketball player signed by Gaines since the end of the past season. But two other highly regardeH nlavprs from Trenton, N. J., Guards Sandy Smith and Nate Armstrong, entered school last January and will be eligible to play next season.
The Cooleemee Journal (Cooleemee, N.C.)
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June 10, 1970, edition 1
8
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