The American and National Leagues finally brokered a peace agreement in
1903 that has stood the test of time. The NL agreed to recognize the AL as
an equal and agreed to accept the new AL franchise in New York while the
AL agreed that there would be no more raiding of players from the NL. The
AL also agreed to adopt the "foul strike" rule, first instituted
by the NL in 1901, which allowed the leagues to operate under the same
playing rules for the same time (just as the
NL and American Association had agreed in 1887).
Here then is the historic National Agreement, which also led to the
formation of the National Commission, which oversaw organized baseball
until the commissioner system effectively replaced it with the hiring of Judge
Landis.
NATIONAL AGREEMENT FOR THE GOVERNMENT
OF PROFESSIONAL BASE BALL CLUBS
PREAMBLE
This Agreement, made and entered into by and between the National
League and American Association of Professional Base Ball Clubs, and the
American League of Professional Base Ball Clubs, known and designated
herein as Major Leagues, parties of the first part, each with the other
and both, jointly and severally, by and with the National Association of
Professional Base Ball Leagues, known and referred to herein as Minor
Leagues, party of the second part, shall be styled the National Agreement,
and shall have for its objects:
(1) Perpetuation of base ball as the national pastime of America, by
surrounding it with such safeguards as will warrant absolute public
confidence in its integrity and methods, and by maintaining a high
standard of skill and sportsmanship in its players.
(2) Protection of the property rights of those engaged in base ball as
a business without sacrificing the spirit of competition in the conduct of
the clubs.
(3) Promotion of the welfare of ball players as a class by developing
and perfecting them in their profession and enabling them to secure
adequate compensation for expertness.
(4) Adoption of a uniform code of rules for playing base ball.
ARTICLE I.
Section 1. This agreement shall be indissoluble except by the unanimous
vote of the parties to it, and if any of said parties withdraws from it,
or violates any of its fundamental principles the party so withdrawing or
offending shall be treated as the enemy of organized base ball.
ARTICLE II.
Section 1. Each party to this Agreement retains the right to conduct
its affairs and govern its players according to the constitution and by
laws.
ARTICLE III.
Section 1. Each year a committee of three from each of the Major
Leagues to this Agreement,—the National and American League,— shall
meet and adopt a code of rules to regulate the playing of base ball for
the ensuing season, a majority vote being required to adopt, revise or
repeal a rule.
ARTICLE IV.
Section 1. A commission of three members, to be known as the National
Commission, is hereby created with power to construe and carry out the
terms and provisions of this Agreement, excepting when it pertains to the
internal affairs of the National Association. One member shall be the
President of the National League and one the President of the American
League. These two members shall meet, on or before the first Monday of
January in each year, to elect by majority vote a suitable person as the
third member. The third member so chosen shall be the Chairman of the
Commission for one year from the date of his election, and shall preside
at all meetings. Each member shall have a vote on all questions which may
come before it, except as hereinafter directed. A Secretary shall be
elected yearly. The salary of the Chairman shall be $_________ per annum,
in addition to living and traveling expenses incurred in the discharge of
his official duties. Other members of the Commission shall serve without
compensation. The salary of the Secretary shall be $_________ per annum.
Immediately after the election of a Chairman and Secretary, the Commission
shall proceed to the transaction of such business as many properly come
before it.
Sec. 2. Sessions of the Commission, in addition to the annual meeting
on the first Monday in January of each year, shall be held at the call of
the Chairman, or at the request of the two other members of the
Commission.
Sec. 3. The National Commission shall have the power to inflict and
enforce fines or suspensions, or both, upon either party to this
Agreement, who are adjudged by it to have violated the letter or spirit of
this Agreement.
Sec. 4. Whenever a National League Club or an American League Club
claims the services of the same player by selection, reservation or
contract, the right to said player shall be established by the decision of
the Chairman of the Commission, who shall determine the case on the law
and evidence without the aid of either of his associates.
Sec. 5. Whenever a National League Club or a Minor League Club cannot
amicably arrange differences over a player, the testimony shall be heard
and the case adjudicated by the Chairman of the Commission and the
representative of the American League. If the contention be between an
American League Club and a Minor League Club, the decision shall be made
by the Chairman of the Commission and the representative of the National
League. If the Chairman of the Commission and the major league member
entitled to vote on any question arising between a major and minor league
club shall not agree, the Chairman's findings shall determine the case.
ARTICLE V.
Section 1. The circuits of each major league shall consist of the
following cities: National League—Boston, New York, Brooklyn,
Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Chicago, St. Louis and Cincinnati. American
League—Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Washington, Cleveland, Detroit,
Chicago and St. Louis. Neither major league circuit shad be changed
without the consent of the majority of the clubs of each major league. It
is further provided that there shall be no consolidation in any city where
two major league clubs exist; nor shall any club transfer or release its
players for the purpose of injuring or weakening the league of which it is
a member; provided, however, that the circuit of either major league may
be changed by transferring either of the above-mentioned franchises to
some other city on consent of the majority of the clubs of each major
league. Provided, further, that if either of the major leagues in changing
their circuits shall choose a city in which a club of the National
Association is located, such major league shall then be required to pay to
the league in the National Association of which such city may be a member
the sum of $2,500. Provided, further, thaten when a major league shall
change its circuit and choose a city in which a club of the National
Association is located, such club shall be compensated for any assets that
they may have by the club desiring to locate in such city; and upon
failure to agree upon such compensation, the matter shall be determined by
arbitration, the arbitration committee to consist of three members, one of
whom shall be the President of the National Commission, one a member of
the major league. desiring to locate in such city, and the third a member
of the National Association. The finding of a majority of said committee
to be final.
Sec. 2. The party of the second part hereby guarantees that none of the
leagues in its membership shall establish or maintain a club in a city on
the circuit of either major league, or within five miles of the limits
thereof, without the consent in writing of the major league club or clubs
located therein and recorded in the office of the Secretary of the
National Commission, Jersey City excepted.
ARTICLE VI.
Section 1. All parties to this instrument pledge themselves to
recognize the right of reservation and respect contracts between players
and clubs under its protection.
Sec. 2. Any club or league which harbors a player who refuses to
observe his contract with a club member of any party to this Agreement, or
to abide by its reservation, shall be considered an outlaw organization,
and its claim to contractual and territorial rights ignored.
Sec. 3. The right and title of a major league club to its players shall
be absolute, and can be only terminated by release or failure to reserve
under the terms of this Agreement by the club to which a player has been
under contract. When a major league club serves notice of release on one
of its players, he shall be ineligible to contract with a club of another
league if, during ten days after the service of such notice of release, a
club in the league in which he has been playing shall demand his services.
Sec. 4. The practice of farming is prohibited. All right or claim of a
major league club to a player shall cease when such player becomes a
member of a minor league club, and no arrangement between clubs for the
loan or return of a player shall be binding between the parties to it or
recognized by other clubs.
Sec. 5. The National Association shall have the classification of its
leagues, and the adoption of a salary limit for its clubs, according to
such classification, and it agrees to withdraw protection from any league
which allows any of its clubs to exceed the salary limit prescribed for
leagues of its classification.
Sec. 6. The right of a minor league club to its players shall be
absolute, except that from September 1 to October 15 of each year, major
league clubs shall have the privilege of selecting players from the
National Association clubs for the following season, upon payment of $750
for each player so selected from clubs in Class "A" leagues;
$500 for each player so selected from clubs in Class "B"
leagues; $300 for each player so selected from clubs in Class
"C" leagues, and $200 for each player so selected from clubs of
a lower class, the payments to be made to the Secretary of the National
Association, through the Secretary of the Commission, as follows: One-half
of the amount when the selection is made, and one-half of the amount on
June 1 following, the player to revert to the club from which he was
selected if the selecting club defaults on any of the payments, the player
also to revert to the club from which he was selected if when released he
is not signed within ten days by a club of a minor league; provided,
however, that not more than two players shall be selected from any Class
"A" club during any one year.
Sec. 7. Any club entitled to make selection of a player, and desiring
to do so, shall notify the Secretary of the National Commission, stating
the name of the player and of the club to which he is under contract and
reservation, and enclosing the amount specified in the preceding section
to be paid for such release or draft. The Secretary shall thereupon notify
the Secretary of the National Association, who shall thereupon immediately
notify the club and league from which such selection shall be made, and
shall order the transfer of the player to the selecting club at the close
of the current season. Such selection and transfer shall thereupon be
promulgated, and if such selection is revoked, or default made in
payments, immediate notice thereof shall he given to the clubs of all
parties to this Agreement, and any other club in the same league may be
subrogated to the rights of the club defaulting in said payments, by
paying to the club defaulting the sum so advanced.
Sec. 8. A major league club may at any time purchase the release of a
player from a minor league club,. to take effect forthwith or at a
specified date, provided such purchase is recorded with the Secretary of
the Commission and Secretary of the National Association for promulgation
within five days of the transaction.
Sec. 9. If a selected player is released within the year of, or the
next year after, his selection, by a major league club, and no other major
league club claims him prior to the expiration of his notice of release,
the minor league club which lost him by selection shall have the priority
of right to him over all clubs.
Sec. 10. The selection of a player made by a major league club under an
arrangement with a minor league club for the return of the selected player
after the expiration of the period of selection, shall be void, and the
National Commission shall impose a fine of $500 on each club which becomes
a party to a conspiracy to prevent a player from advancing in his
profession, or in any way abusing the privilege of selection.
ARTICLE VII.
Section 1. On or before the 25th day of September in each year the
Secretary of each party to this Agreement shall transmit to the Secretary
of the Commission a list of players then under contract with each of its
several club members for the current season and in addition thereto a list
of such players reserved in any prior annual reserve list who have refused
to contract with such clubs. Such players, together with all others
thereafter to be regularly contracted with by such clubs (namely, those
whose releases have been secured for future services by purchase or
selection by draft under this Agreement), are and shall be ineligible to
contract with any other club of any league during the period of time
between the termination of their contracts and the beginning of the next
season. The Secretary of the Commission shall thereupon promulgate such
lists. No club shall be permitted to reserve any player while in arrears
of salary to him. Failure of a club to tender a contract to a player by
March 1 shall operate as a release.
ARTICLE VIII.
Section 1. All contracts between clubs and players in the major league
shall be in a form prescribed by the National Commission.
Sec. 2. Any agreement between club and player for service, evidenced by
written acceptance whether by letter or telegram or receipt from player
for money advanced to him to bind such agreement, shall be construed to be
a contract and held to be binding, provided the player declines to enter
into a formal contract, but his refusal to sign such formal contract shall
render him ineligible to play with the contracting club for more than a
period of ten days or to enter the service of a club of any party to this
Agreement unless released.
Sec. 3. When a player of a major or a minor league club shall be
suspended for a stated period or indefinitely, in accordance with his
contract and the constitution and by-laws of the league of which his club
is a member, the Secretary of such association shall give notice of such
disqualification to the Secretary of the National Commission, who shall at
once promulgate the same, and such disqualified player shall not be
eligible to play with or against the club or any party to this Agreement
until such disqualification shall have been removed and notice of such
revocation promulgated by the Secretary of the National Commission.
Sec. 4. In all cases before it for adjudication the National Commission
shall have the right to require affidavits from parties in interest and
other witnesses, and may demand the production of documentary evidence.
Failure to furnish testimony under oath or affirmation or documentary
evidence by a party in interest, within such time as may be specified by
the Chairman of the Commission, shall result in the award of the case
against the delinquent party.
Sec. 5. A player suspended by a club or league for a term longer than
ten days shall have the right of appeal to the National Commission, which
is given authority to order his reinstatement if it deems the punishment
excessive or not merited. This and other questions may be determined by a
mail vote by members of the Commission.
ARTICLE IX.
Section 1. The Secretary of the National Commission, who shall act as
treasurer in addition to his other duties, shall furnish a sufficient bond
for the faithful performance of his duties and the safekeeping of all
moneys which come into his custody in the administration of his office. He
shall keep the minutes of each meeting and preserve a correct record of
all contracts, releases, reservations, selections, suspensions and
reinstatements of players and shall provide himself with an official stamp
for certifying the time of receipt by him of all official documents.
Sec. 2. On the receipt of a notice of selection he shall note upon it
in ink the amount of money accompanying it, the date and hour of its
arrival, and adopt every precaution possible to prevent complications over
the priority in time of the filing of selections of players by different
clubs, and the club which first registers its selection of a player with
the Secretary, as provided herein, shall be entitled to the services of
such player.
Sec. 3. The Secretary shall prepare and promulgate all decisions and
rulings of the National Commission, unless the Chairman assigns the duty
to himself or another member.
Sec. 4. The expenses of the Commission herein provided for shall be
paid by the major leagues share and share alike. Each major league shall
pay to the Secretary of the Commission $500 for current expenses at the
time of the adoption of this Agreement.
ARTICLE X.
Section 1. Every league shall strictly enforce the provisions in its
constitution against open betting on its grounds, and club officials are
required to cause the arrest and prosecution of those who engage in the
practice.
Sec. 2. No game or series of games shall be played for a stake between
clubs of any party to this agreement, nor shall any player of a club
accept or agree to accept a sum of money or present of great value as an
inducement or reward for special effort on his part in winning or trying
to win a game.
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