The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1900-05-03
ADVICE OF A CRANK.
An Old Timer on the Beachers Talks
to the Baseball Boys His Text.
Don't Be a Clam.

I'm genuine baseball crank" said
he. "and 1 want TO take Il cranks
privilege. namely. that OF talking TO
the baseball boys Of Astoria. Can /
do Il through the Astorian?"
The speaker was grey-haired and
wore glasses and had, In fact reach
ed the sixty mark on the three score
and ten allotment Of years. but he
was younger and more full Of life than
half Of the ennuied young men who
have only lived third Of that time.
Everybody In Astoria knows him and
nearly everybody admires aim, and this
is what he said:
Il see the Astoria boys have formed
a baseball club. and I'm glad OF IL,
but also see that they are making
over again the same mistake they have
made in former years. In other words,
the Astoria boys seem TO think that
baseball club cannot live and thrive
here unless II belongs to some league.
Now. / should think that the Astoria
boys had had about all the baseball
league they wanted in past years. The
former clubs have all belonged to So
called leagues and have paid the ex-
penses OF the other clubs In the league
and for their share have received what
the boys call the horse laugh.
Every time" continued the old gem
tleman, the Astoria boys have be-
longed TO league. they have got the
worst Of II. In former years the games
have been scheduled and visiting clubs
would reach Astoria on time. The
boys here would receive the visitors,
give them the very best the town af-
fords. while the people would turn out
and patronize the games until the
sack the visitors carried away was
heavy enough to put in valise. That
is no Joke. II can be shown that, TAX
ing the seasons throughout, Astoria
has given baseball a far more gener-
Gus patronage than any other Of the
| co-Nttlltu lta6uS NV"Ao'
'aThen the Astoria club would go
TO visit the other towns in the league
at their homes. Invariably. and ]
will leave 1t to the boys II l am not
telling the truth. the clubs they Wis
ited would put the Astoria boys up at
a 81 a day hotel and even make them
pay, when 1t was charged, the bus
hire from the hotel to the trains So
far as receipts were concerned there
was never anything TO divide.
why, remember one game in q
certain city not a million miles away
when there were over 1000 people pres
ent and when we come to settle up II
was found. or alleged, that 1000 OF
them we're present on passes. Every
time the boys went away from home
they got the worst OF 1t, ana every
time visiting clubs came here, the Wis
itors were given the best Of II.
"All this is preliminary to what
want to say to the baseball boys, fol
l love them and love the game. Now
why don't they go to work this yeai
and simply make games for themselve:
regardless Of any league proposition
They can do 1t. They can get al
most any club in the Northwest tC
come here and play and they can 81
almost any place and play on paying
terms, providing, Of course, they pu
up a good game Of ball. I would lik'
to see our boys assert their lndepen
dence. indeed, would. II they d.
they will find rlenty Of backing a
home in case they get into trouble
We don't need a league. Let the boy
drop that idea and make their owl
games on their own terms"