organization in the false pretense, in which the player and club engage, that
the player is honestly complying with college athletic eligibility rules,

which in fact are being deliberately violated, The ebvious impropriety of that
situation is in no wise diminished by the fact that college athletic officials
often are fully cognizant of that violation and are participants therein,

It is further revresented that it is not true that the player is "under the
impression" that he is obligated to the club assisting him-~- that "all clubs
are fully aware that these agreements or understandings do not bind the player,"
and that "there is nothing to prevent a player repudiating or insisting on a
change in the terms of this agreement before signing with a club."

The Elmer Gedeon (Washington) case on August 18, 1939, set forth:

"It is stated that Washington's failure to ccmply with the
foregoing rules (requiring filing and premulgation of the
contract) was due tc request by the player that filing of
the contract be withheld until after June 1. This, however,
is no excuse for Washington's violation of these rules.

They cannot be rendered inoperative py the player's request,
particularly as they are indispensably necessary regardless
of any desire of the player that his signing contract be
withheld from promulgation,

"These rules require that this contract be declared void;
and all transfers of this player, having been based on this
invalid contract, also must be, and are, declared void.

"Notice is given all clubs that hereafter any club failing

to comply with the foregoing rules (whether or not the player
acquiesces in er requests such violation) will be prohibited

from signing the player to a new contyact either directly or

through a subsidiary or affiliated club."

And in the Novakovich case (St. Louis A, L. Club), on March 4, 1941:

"This document was, ef course, utterly worthless for any
purpose other than causing Novakevich erroneously to telieve
that he was under obligation to sign contract as therein
mentioned, The player must be and is declared a free agent,
except that the St, Louis American League Club (and any
subsidiary or affiliate) may net contract with him within
three yeers from date hereof."

Of course, all clubs kmow, and always have known, that the rules invalidste
all unfiled agreements. But it is exceedingly questionable whether players, in
general, are equally aware of the complete absence of any legal obligation on
their part under such a document, No doubt scme players find that out. How-
ever, there is, and can be, no question whatsoever that these legally worthless
documents do serve a purpose---first, of deluding many of the players signing
them inte an erroneous belief that they are obligated; and, second, of
establishing a moral obligation to go through with the arrangement or at least
to give "the club assisting him" the first option on his baseball services.

If it were otherwise, no club ever would enter into such arrangements.

Notice again is hereby given all clubs that any club failing to comply
with the rules requirement that such agreements be filed for promulgation
within 20 days from date made (whether or not the player acquiesces in or re-
quests such non-filing) will be prohibited from signing the player to a new
contract, either directly or through a subsidiary or affiliated club; and that
any and all new contracts of the club and its affiliates with a player with
whom such an unfiled agreement has been made will be declared void, except as
the rights of innocent transferees may have intervened (in which case such
action will be taken as will remove from the rules-violating club all payments
‘er benefits accruing te it from the transfer). In addition, as to any such
agreement made after this date and deliberately withheld from promulgation, a
fine will be imposed upon each club involved and wpon each individual respon-
sible for the non-filing.

Kenesaw M, Landis,
KML P Commissioner,