 In April 1902 , the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania overruled an earlier decision by the Court of Common Pleas and upheld the reserve clause in contracts between players and NL clubs . President of the Chicago National League Club Jim Hart said the state Supreme Court 's decision had dealt " a fatal blow to the rival league " and NL clubs " have won a great victory . " The Phillies ' Rogers obtained an injunction barring Lajoie from playing baseball for any team other than his team . However , a lawyer discovered the injunction was only enforceable in the state of Pennsylvania . The courts ruled the reserve clause was not valid for players who signed with an AL team . Mack responded by trading Lajoie and Bill Bernhard to the then @-@ moribund Cleveland Bronchos , whose owner , Charles Somers , had provided considerable financial assistance to the A 's in the early years . Lajoie was also pursued by Charles Comiskey , owner of the Chicago White Sox . 
