The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-07-22

seriously ar discuss as anything but a
Iarneutahlr and unrcgr.itod failure. The
team Is not even digniiiei enough tn secure
the honor of a decent roa ting. for il seems
that It's sole aim and desire is to lose games.
lose them Knowingly, Willingly. faErdnrly
and without any coherent effort 20 win
Them. Strange as II may sound. it seems
as il Inc manager, captain and players Of
the 81. Louis club were entirely lacking III
interest I'm the club. This may not he 80.
rrchahlv is not So. hut that is what th'ir
conduct looks like. Under such conditions
il is M, natural that the puh.ic can force
itself TO take much interest in the club
As for the newspaper writer's. it is i'm
possible for them 10 'n,husc. either in ccn-
c.ns,lre is not what tho manager and play
crs most desire. Praise i utterly imp.ssr
hle in the case Indeed. nothing saw. utter
Indifference OF the part of every h0dy. in
which the team sets such a powerful exam
nlc. is possible. Outhitting. outiiolding and
ouipitchiuc many of III" teams which il
rilys. the ST Louis club must hav" some
trouble keeping from winning Il game now
AMI then. still. 10 manages ~ DO So with
excellent and Unyarying success.
When Mr. McGraw. with IN injured fin
track. he dealt himself and The game i'm -.
Louis a very nasty blow. HAD ne al any
time cherished rrYutad Ideas Of managing
the St Louis baseball team nc blasted chem
by his action. After being treated 49, such
an astonishing display ~ Indifference -
the success of his team. tho public. which
noticed the same. anil which WAS very
much taken with Mr.. McGraw. can never
again have. the same imp ici; Corti Icrce IL
him as n once had. by his llmsnj1ble in
difference he forfeited the strong hold no
had secured upon public esteem in tits city.
forfeited il wholly and entirely. Then he
drove many people away from the park to
the race track. Observing his in Inference
the people fcit-and nor withou; reason
that the team was totally indifferent in its
ay. in its .ifCrtS 70 entertain. II the cap
tain and best man on III" club was 50 in
different Ia the success 81 the team a= -
avoid the games ana attend the races. IL Is
not to b.' wondered at that the patrons OF
tho game who were not IL any sense iinan-
cially Interested should. protting by his
example. become utterly Indifferent also.
The apparent Indifference aud Inability of
Manager T.b.au is not easily explained. Nj
T"h.aus record as a manager should prov
that he is an abb, baseball leader Tie
should be- very much Int rested IN the sue
cess Of the -. Louis club. ii for none but
the very selfish reason that he * 4 large
stockholGsr IN Il. He certainly has heen.
and IS vet. n" doubt. faithful servan, Of
his employers.
Just why Manager Te6eau did not keep
Mr.. NcGraw AT The baseball park instead Of
al the race track. cannot he explained on
any other basis than that Mr.. Nc,iraw is
too big man. not only for Mr.. TehcaU to
harn.e. but for the club owners tn govern.
There seems To be very little doubt &C this
one Of the very remarkable aspects Of
the cas-, l. that while the baseball club has
been playing To comparatively small crowds
the race track. just across the street, has
been doing notwithstanding business. IN
examination Of the books OF both corpora
tirns will prove the truth Of this assertion.
The small attendance, NJ the bas.Dlll park
Cannot he entirely explained by the prSva-
lercr Of the street rail Way strike The
strike has not particularly affected the race
track. Hence IL seems that In abandoning
baseball to support horse racing. MIR. Nj
Graw was aiding sport which. in 81.
Louis. al least. threatens 10 seriously en-
croaCh upon the patronage hitherto Civ
the baseball park IL certainly does not
seem wise TO cap for rival game when
that game is stronger than yours and
These little Incidents, these slight. but GER
tain vanes which indicate unfaiiingiy.
how the wind blows. coupled with the utt''
lack Of bgll-playing ability shown by che
club. in the making OF runs when hitting
well. and failing 10 keep opponents from
scoring when their own pitching and field
patrons. Ia ALLEVIATE support far more al
fec.ually than real. utter inability To hit,
neId or pitcn could ever DO.
y really weak team. trying to win. In
spite Of weakness: trying to play hall
even il IL does not know how-as the Old
Browns did-was much more thoroughly
calculated to attract patronage, to Insp,r"
confidence. to win ~ prevail than q star on
G"nization. which hits well. pitches We |.
fields well. is paid we'll. treated well. ana
which shows ala-ninS indifference To its
work i the present 81. Louis team does.
IL is useless u deny that al those things
have entirely deprived the club Of support
affection and loyalty. 1t Is not .Ow the St
Louis club. 1t * a club owned by private
parties. who individually have the right IL
conduct IL they see fit. Its success or
failure fails to elicit interest any longer
Ii can be Just as indifferent or enthusiastic
as il desires. 1t can be run to suit any one,
for no one cares.
In Justice to all concerned, the owners Of
the club. the MiessrS. Robson and Becker.
should be entirely absoivcd-as far as the
documents in evidence SG-tT"m connection
with the shortcomings of the club. IL Ca
tainly appears that the owners have done
their very best to CIV" ST. Louis good
baseball club and to pl@asc their patrons.
of theirs. That part of the entertainments
which they have controlled, the stands. tn:
field, etc. has been eXcell.ntly conducted.
The owners of the club are entitled To the
thanks. the sympathy and the este m Of
their patrons in 81. Louis. Although usuney
has WAYS been a very secondary colISi l.
club which they worked so hard to- secure.
and at such a cost assembled. has not en-
titlel them to the patronage OF the public
also.
1t is very great pity that baseball has
fallen to such a low estate in 81. Louis a.
10 be unworthy of serious consideration. Yet
il is UnhapyiIy true that the wretchei play
ing Of the old Browns. the miserable track
ana hecr garden ventures of the Won der
Abe regime. sales of players, etc. did noe
by any means accumulate to destroy inter
est in the game, were not by any means as
noxious III their effect upon the sport as the
lack OF interest and effort displayed by the
players and captain of the s.. Louis team
this season. This is strong. but 1t is :he
fact.
Now let us pass the ST. Louis team up
and 60 play golf.
News comes from Philadelphia that Nano-
leon Iaioie the hard hitting second base
mau Of the Quakcfs. Is on the market. Evil
IDENTIFY the Philadelphia club is tired of La
ioie's cScapadrS. which have placed the team
in Il bad hoI. on many occasions. So far a.
can he learned. neither Cincinnati nor
Brooklyn wants the man. Perhaps New
York will buy him. 81. Louis could use him
Heinio PETE is badly missed hv the Reds
Withou; the big. Eood-natured German in
harness the team is badly criDpled PETIT
besides being a natural catcher and good
hitter. Is more experienced than either Wood
or kahoe- He is the hardest worker on the
team. He steadies the pitchers and keeps
the entire team on the move when he is he
hind the hat.
\ report comes from Gotham that Freed
man is To- retire from baseball. How much
truth there is in the ruror cannot be
learned. Its plausibility. however. cannot
has been blamed To his alleged parsimnn iouS
policy of refusing To- buy frst-Class players.
Freedman has seldom shown any inclination
within the time he has been at the head of
the New York club to iamiiiarize himself
with conditions as they exist in the club he
and IL is also tact that he IS