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May 28, 1953

UNITED LEAGUES ‘SHAKEN TO THEIR CORE’
PLAYERS RATIFY KING’S OFFER; NEW CLUB OWNERS FOR EMBRO, FORT RICHMOND

Embro, Dunwich (BP) – There may only be a few days left in the month of May, but its end can’t come soon enough for the beleaguered team owners. Four short weeks ago, the club barons seemingly possessed an unassailable position as “Lords of the Leagues”, running their teams as they wished with little if any, interference from either the Office of the Commissioner or Kemsley Palace. For the players, this meant they were little more than pawns, with little say in how they were treated or paid. That imbalance of power eventually led to the widespread dissatisfaction that players have felt particularly over the past couple of seasons due to what they alleged were artificially suppressed salaries. Despite the recent formation of the United Leagues Ballplayers Fraternity (ULBF) designed to provide a united front in their negotiations with the owners, the players’ efforts to reach a new deal continued to go largely ignored. The owners, confident that their positions were secure, held fast to the status quo.

My how things have changed in just a few short weeks.

‘We Are Not Amused’

That, in essence, was the message delivered by King William to the owners whose intransigence saw them haled before His Royal Majesty at Kemsley Palace back on May 18. After months of refusing to address the financial inequities cited by the players, the owners finally yielded following a tense meeting called by the King. Although reporters were not allowed into the proceedings, sources confirmed that the King berated the owners with a lengthy, withering harangue. The King’s ire was raised when the owners failed to provide evidence in advance of the meeting for their claims that their respective clubs’ revenue and profit could not support improved player salaries and benefits. Instead, the owners opened the meeting by tabling an offer that provided a modest increase in salaries for players with ten or more years of service time. But if the owners hoped that this would appease His Royal Majesty, they woefully miscalculated. For the King as well as for Commissioner Sir David Westfall, it only served to confirm what they suspected all along: that the owners had merely been bluffing and were unwilling to act as true partners with the players.

The King then turned the tables on the owners, using the owners’ tepid offer as a starting point for His own offer, one that calls for across-the-board salary increases with commitments on both a benefits package and a player’s pension. That offer, the owners were informed, would be immediately submitted to the ULBF for review and a formal vote by the players. It was then that King William dropped another bomb on the owners. Per the United League’s charter, His Majesty was exercising His right to undertake a ‘thorough review’ of each ownership group to determine their continued fitness. Although the meeting ended on that ominous note, the now-humbled barons did not have to wait very long on hearing the results of the King’s review. The next day, the Commissioners Office announced that two owners were being forced to relinquish their respective clubs: 74-year old Jong-beom Yu of the Fort Richmond Generals and 43-year old Oliver Blowers of the Embro Suns. They were reportedly two of the most prominent hardline owners. The Commissioner also noted that the review was still ongoing, hinting that further ownership shakeups may still occur.

All that flurry of activity culminated into today’s dual announcement made by the Commissioners Office: that the players have officially accepted the new agreement and the formal introduction of the new ownership groups for Embro and Fort Richmond.

A New Era for the Leagues

The new agreement with the players was ratified with 83% of the players voting in favor. Jim Mars of the Wellington Athletics and the club’s union representative was on hand in Braeland City along with the Commissioner to make the announcement. Mars was asked about the lower than expected acceptance of the deal by the players.

“Some of my colleagues were disappointed that the reserve clause remained in place,” admitted the 27-year old outfielder. “But as a Union, we are preaching patience – ‘one base at a time’ as it were. We consider this agreement a big step for the players and one we can build on. The Union is waiting on the decision that the United States Supreme Court is expected to render later this year in the Toolson v. New York Yankees case. That will undoubtedly inform our next steps. Regardless, we don’t view our work as being done and we stressed to our membership that equity with the Owners will have to come in fits and starts. We view this new deal as a definite start and we believe in time that all the players will view it this way as well.”

On the heels of that momentous announcement, Commissioner David Westfall held a second news conference, this time introducing the two new team owners. Daniel Walker II of the Walker Brewery Company was introduced as head of the Embro Sun’s ownership group, while Allen Ratcliffe made is official debut as majority owner of the Fort Richmond Generals. The 43-year old Ratcliffe is the owner of the Ratcliffe Transport Company, one of the largest trucking firms in the country. Mr. Ratcliffe is no stranger to the United Leagues, having been a minority owner of the Generals for the past six years. On the other hand, the 44-year old Walker joins the ULB’s ownership ranks for the first time. However, the name ‘Walker’ is no stranger to the Leagues, as their popular suds are a ubiquitous sight throughout the Leagues’ stadiums.

“We’re very pleased to welcome both Allen Ratcliffe and Daniel Walker to the fold”, beamed the Commissioner. “I have known both Allen and Daniel for a number of years and look forward to working with them in the months and years ahead. They will without doubt bring a fresh perspective and approach to the United Leagues.”

Although the new owners were prepared to answer questions, the throng of reporters in attendance were more interested in peppering the Commissioner with questions regarding what particular transgressions the previous owners in Embro and Fort Richmond were guilty of that forced their abrupt dismissal from the Leagues. Sir Westfall would not get into specifics as the overall ownership review was still in progress but did reveal one potential sore point when he touched on the subject of good communication between the owners and players, something that was noticeably lacking over the past two years.

“Success of any complex enterprise such as the United Leagues depends upon good communication between all participants”, explained Commissioner Westfall. “You’re never going to see eye-to-eye on issues all of the time and that’s fine. But its important to keep the lines of communication open. That was lacking in recent years and it was starting to impact the role of the Commissioners Office. Thus, it was deemed a ‘culture change’ was warranted.”

The Commissioner was also asked if other team ownership changes are being considered and if so, why they were not being made at the same time as the Suns and Generals were.

“The replacement of ownership groups in such a unilateral way is without question ‘the nuclear option’. Thus, the ongoing review is being done thoroughly and we believe, fairly. Its not something the King nor I take lightly. Only when there is a clear basis for such drastic action will it be undertaken. But I can say the ownership changes announced today are not the end of the matter.”

Forced Ownership Changes – The Right Move or a Dangerous Precedent?

Still, not all impartial observers are convinced that such a drastic action as forcing owners out is a good idea in the long term, although admittedly the owners were largely the architects of their predicament. One of those onlookers, Dr. Paul Massey of the Lowery School of Management located at the King Hugh University in Balmoral, expressed astonishment at the dramatic turn of events and the sweeping changes initiated by the King.

“These last few weeks have absolutely shaken the United Leagues to their core”, observed Massey. “For something this drastic, I think you have to go back to 1876, when National League President William Hulbert expelled both the Philadelphia Athletics and New York Mutuals from the League when they refused to play road trips late in the season. That sent a clear message that league schedules were to be respected. The moves made by King William sent a clear message as well, but potential future owners can be forgiven if they are starting to think twice about buying into the Leagues. If either the King or Commissioner’s Office can act this unilaterally, what monetary incentive is there for prospective owners to enter a situation that can quickly turn ugly if you should happen to displease His Majesty? To me, this has opened a Pandora’s box and it cannot be closed again. Even if a situation calls for immediate action, should such remedies emanate from the mere whims of the King? How high or low should the bar be set for handing down such severe measures going forward? It will be interesting to see how this plays out in the seasons to come. The owners are a weakened group right now. The Players Union will not be satisfied indefinitely with these new terms and they could go too far too soon with their demands if they smell blood in the water.”

So, what does the King need to do at this point?

“He needs to spell out the grounds rules for undertaking these kinds of drastic actions in the future and make it fair for both owners and players,” concluded Dr. Massey. “The King needs to right the ship – otherwise we’ll be seeing good owners – both current and potential – abandoning the Leagues for other opportunities.”