Dodger Farm Club Player Sues Organized Baseball, Daily Racing Form, 1951-06-15

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Dodger Farm Club Player Sues Organized Baseball CINCINNATI, Ohio, June 14 UP.— A 50,000 damage suit attacking organized baseballs, farm system was filed today in TJ. S. District Court by Walter J. Kowalski, outfielder with the Newcastle, Pa., farm club of the Brooklyn Dodgers. Kowalski charged the farm system was "a monopoly within a monopoly" because of the reserve clause which bonds a player to the club with which he first signed. A suit against the reserve clause was filed here this spring. Defendants are Commissioner A. B. "Happy" Chandler, minor leagues president George Trautman; the Cincinnati and Brooklyn ball clubs, and the National and American League presidents. Kowalski said he" was signed as a minor and after war service began playing with Lockport, N. Y., at a starting salary of 50 ajmonth. In 1948 with Pueblo, he said, he was. making 50 a month. His request for a raise to 00, he said, was refused. Then his name was kept off the unrestricted draft list, he said, andhe never got a chance to move anyhigher. His case was reviewed by Chandler and Trautman, he added, but he got no relief.


Persistent Link: https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1950s/drf1951061501/drf1951061501_37_2
Local Identifier: drf1951061501_37_2
Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800