Front Office Football Central - View Single Post - Chaos on the Cathedrals of Green-An OOTP 2006 Dynasty

BYU 14 · 06-13-2006, 12:17 AM

A tumultuous off Season began with the December announcement by Ban Johnson that the Western League, would be renamed the American League, and commence operation as a second Major League beginning in April of 1901. The announcement called for trimming the circuit from ten to eight teams by folding Franchises in Hartford and Oklahoma City. In addition a relocation plan was outlined moving Newark to Philadelphia, Indianapolis to Chicago and Providence to Boston, which would result in direct competition with National League teams in those markets. The remaining five Teams (Milwaukee, Baltimore, Detroit, Cleveland and Washington) would remain in their existing Markets.

The threat of direct competition caused disdain in Chicago and Philadelphia where the Wrigley’s and Al Reach promised to crush the upstarts at the turnstiles. Boston, however, was a different story. News came that the powerful Kennedy clan would assume majority ownership of the Providence squad, to be renamed the Americans. This and the groundbreaking on the massive Huntington Avenue grounds prompted a nervous ownership to ponder a move to recently vacated Hartford. The proposal drew the ire of the remaining seven National League owners, who still held firm in their belief that these plans would be dashed by an anticipated victory in court come January.

The January hearings were highly charged as the National League owners insisted that they retained exclusive contractual rights to all Players in their League, and as such held reserve on these Players as long as they played Professional Baseball. They also introduced a motion that “Major League” status brought territorial rights, therefore no other Professional Team could enter into direct competition in National League cities.

Johnson’s attorneys went to work, picking holes in the basic premise of the National Leagues filings and demanded that all motions be thrown out in the name of free enterprise. As closing arguments approached, the haughty National League owners, buoyed by powerful connections anticipated a decisive victory. The uproar that ensued when the Judge ruled in favor of the upstart American League on all counts rocked Manhattan and sent the elite Eight reeling. He not only ruled that the National League had no reserves on current or former National League Players, therefore they could accept employment offers from a competing “business”, but he also upheld Johnson’s rebuttal that the proposed “territorial rights” clause violated free market competition and that the American League could place Teams in whatever markets it deemed practical.

As both sides regrouped and prepared for the next faze of the battle…..A voice from the West re-emerged and the words that emanated from the mouth of DW Griffith set both sides back on their Heels.

06-13-2006, 12:17 AM	#5
BYU 14 Coordinator Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: The scorched Desert	Thunder of the Gavel A tumultuous off Season began with the December announcement by Ban Johnson that the Western League, would be renamed the American League, and commence operation as a second Major League beginning in April of 1901. The announcement called for trimming the circuit from ten to eight teams by folding Franchises in Hartford and Oklahoma City. In addition a relocation plan was outlined moving Newark to Philadelphia, Indianapolis to Chicago and Providence to Boston, which would result in direct competition with National League teams in those markets. The remaining five Teams (Milwaukee, Baltimore, Detroit, Cleveland and Washington) would remain in their existing Markets. The threat of direct competition caused disdain in Chicago and Philadelphia where the Wrigley’s and Al Reach promised to crush the upstarts at the turnstiles. Boston, however, was a different story. News came that the powerful Kennedy clan would assume majority ownership of the Providence squad, to be renamed the Americans. This and the groundbreaking on the massive Huntington Avenue grounds prompted a nervous ownership to ponder a move to recently vacated Hartford. The proposal drew the ire of the remaining seven National League owners, who still held firm in their belief that these plans would be dashed by an anticipated victory in court come January. The January hearings were highly charged as the National League owners insisted that they retained exclusive contractual rights to all Players in their League, and as such held reserve on these Players as long as they played Professional Baseball. They also introduced a motion that “Major League” status brought territorial rights, therefore no other Professional Team could enter into direct competition in National League cities. Johnson’s attorneys went to work, picking holes in the basic premise of the National Leagues filings and demanded that all motions be thrown out in the name of free enterprise. As closing arguments approached, the haughty National League owners, buoyed by powerful connections anticipated a decisive victory. The uproar that ensued when the Judge ruled in favor of the upstart American League on all counts rocked Manhattan and sent the elite Eight reeling. He not only ruled that the National League had no reserves on current or former National League Players, therefore they could accept employment offers from a competing “business”, but he also upheld Johnson’s rebuttal that the proposed “territorial rights” clause violated free market competition and that the American League could place Teams in whatever markets it deemed practical. As both sides regrouped and prepared for the next faze of the battle…..A voice from the West re-emerged and the words that emanated from the mouth of DW Griffith set both sides back on their Heels.