====== April 21, 1902 ======

===== News =====

•	The Pennsylvania Supreme Court reversed a lower court decision regarding second baseman [[Nap Lajoie]]

•	A year ago the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas ruled that Lajoie, along with pitchers [[Chick Fraser]] and [[Bill Bernhard]] were not bound by contracts they had signed with the Phillies in 1900 and were free to play for the Athletics in 1901

•	The Philadelphia court based their decision on two factors: that the players in question did not provide a unique and irreplaceable service to the Phillies and that the contracts lacked “mutuality” because they allowed the team to dismiss the players on ten-days notice while not affording the players the same option

•	In this new decision, the Supreme Court said that Lajoie’s skill set made him unique among players and hard to replace and said that mutuality did not require a precise 1:1 relationship between sides

•	The court accepted the Phillies argument that the salary ($2,400) offered to Lajoie was sufficiently high to compensate him for the lack of an out clause

•	Following the decision, Athletics president [[Ben Shibe]] and manager [[Connie Mack]] withheld comment until they could consult with the team’s lawyers

•	Other Athletics players thought to be possibly affected by the ruling were pitcher [[Bill Duggleby]], third baseman [[Lave Cross]], shortstop [[Monte Cross]], and outfielders [[Topsy Hartsel]] and [[Elmer Flick]]

•	In less exalted matters, the team beat the [[Pennsylvania|University of Pennsylvania]], 12-8, in the final game of spring training

•	The school had a standing rule prohibiting their students from competing against pro teams and they had to arrive at the ballpark under a mantle of stealth

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