BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1901-12-03
Echoes From ROOters ROOSt

The slight attendance at the ball games
on Saturday and Sunday afternoons should
furnish excellent food for reflection on the
part of the managers and captains of the
Association. For the past month or two
the class Of baseball played on the grounds
has been such as to discourage the public
from jou1neying out to Puerta de TERRA to
witness exhibitions which are hardly super
lor to those played by the school boys in
the city. To the public who pay price of
admission equal to that paid TO view League
games in the states sOme consideration is
due. and an effort should be made at once
nv the mandates to take such measures as
will insure the perpetuaticn of the game In
this island. AS matters stand now the
public is gradually losing interest every
day, and before the present series is termin-
ated it is more than PROBABLE that the games
will be- played to empty seats. Radical
measures should be taken at once to change
this and if possible to avert the dire catas
tropAe that will surely befall our National
Game is something Is not done.
Suggestions have been made, ideas pro
pounded and discussed hut as yet no move
of any kind in the right direction has beer
taken. 1t appears that everyone fears take
the initiative IN the matter, and thus we are
permitting ourselves to gradually lose in
terest.
Two very fair propositions have beer
made and on this basis some action should
be taken. 1t has first been suggested tha
the league be reduced to three clubs, an(
that the best players of the other three b,
signed by the three remaining organizations
This would insure three good teams, giv'
each two pitchers, one good catcher ant
another fair catcher In case OF necessity
Then again it has been suggested that W.
keep the present six cubs, but that the door
be thrown open to the soldiers and marines
This would insure six absolutely first clas
mines, who would have no excuse for play
ing anything but first class base ball.
Both of these suggestions are open to ohjec
tion anddlscussiun and are merely mentione,
as suggestions to form bases OF some sor
of remedial action. The Managers ant
Captains at legally consti uled meeting
can discuss the best means and methods o
preserving the game, and these suggestion
are merely made with the object Of lmpres
sing upou the minds of our ball players th
necessity for instant action. These pIau
may possibly be far from the best that cOul
be suggested Open and tree, but unpre
JUDGED and unembittered, discussion woui
certainly develop many ideas which woul,
be great improvements on the ones suggeS
ted here, but as basis for action, they Ger
tsinly cannot be ignored by the Manager
and Captains, nor can any further excus
be found for the disntereStedness now pre-
vslent.
Let meeting Of the Captains and Man
ayers De called for some day this week. LIE
the object OF the meeting be publlci,
known and Invite all ball players to Openl.
and freely discuss tne mater, and then le
tue managers and captains adopt that ldei
which would be The most preferable in thel
opinion. The BOLETLN mas no persona
preferences or pet noODles or ideas 10 carry
out, but is ready and anxious to exploit tina
idea which will do the most good for tn,
game in Porto RcO. Something must b,
done and that at once, and tie great inter
est manifested In The game at first must be re
awakened once more.