Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-09-23
SPORTING GOSSIP or WEEK
End Of Western League Championship
Season IL at Hand.
DIsASTEROUf UNtlps MIsMANAeEMsST
Incompetent President steers League
ON breakers and Ruins what
should Have Been q Pros
porous Season.

Almost over.
Another week will see the end of the
Western league championship schedule and
bring to a somewhat disastrous close
season that had the fairest OF prospects at
SIts start With each of the six cities I'm
the circuit enjoying the height of prosper
lity. with workmen all busy and money
plentiful the base ball men should have
had the most successful season in the
leagues history. As II is, the business OF
the league has been almost the worst In
the seven seasons II has been In existence,
while as a sport 1t has been absolutely the
worst. reason for this is not hard to
find. The responsibility rests solely with
the head OF the league and his lack Of
managerial ability. O'Neil had established
his incompetehcy during the frst season
he was employed president, and 1t was
taking a desperate chance to put him at
the head of the Westerns affairs for the
second season. But Cantillon and Tebeau
insisted on having him and he went in.
From the very first he has neglected the
business of the league, and such action
as he has taken has been rather to de-
stroy than to maintain discipline. Through
his stupidity malice the championship
contest was turned into farce and all
interest in It destroyed within a month
from the opening. With disaster in sight
and no prospect for change, except to
reverse his policy, O'Neil went ahead as
he started and drove the Western league
into its present wrecked condition.
Cantillon and Tebeau are primarily re-
sponsible for the wreck OF the league, for
they are the sponsors for O'Nel, and under
their shadow has he sought shelter when
ever the storm became too warm for him.
The course of these men has been in
to win the pennant and not at all scrupu-
lous as to what means secured II for him.
But he had an even greater interest In the
financial success of the league. He pur-
sued a course that destroyed the public in
terest in the contest and to a great extent
confidence in the honesty Of the games
This had it's direct effect on attendance
and the business of the game suffered. At
Denver the patronage dropped away to
nothing at ALL one game recently pulled
on in that city returning sixty-five paid
admissions for q double-header Omaha
has dropped Off and Sioux City has barely
pulled through. In fact, It has required
the hardest of work and the closest of
financiering to keep the circuit intact till
the close of the season This is directly
due to the Tebeau-c antillon policy. Can
tilon Is defended I'm Des Moines because
his team won the pennant by such a ma
Jority as to make 1t look as II the Cham
pions had all the other teams strung out.
This is true paper, but It is not true
on the diamond To howl at the umpire
Is an old, old story and ought not to be
: resorted to. But 1t is no stretch of mem
DRY to recall the fact that Keefe was
going around the circuit with Des Moines
unspiring every game, until the Cantillon
outfit had lead that could not possibly
be overcome. The fact that all the man
ayers tell the same tale of unfair treat
ment on the Des Moines field and that
each city outside of the home OF the Cham
psons had the same trouble with the
rowdy crew is strong support for the sug-
gestion that II the games had been played
on their merits the leaders would be a
little nearer the bunch than they are. But
this doesn't enter in the present considera-
tion.
1t il next season, that must be looked
forward to. Just now the expectation Is
reasonable that the circuit will be made up
for 1907 as Il was for 1906 Experience
should teach the owners that to regain
public confidence they must put forth
something the people will trust. This
means the retirement of O'Neil and the
employment OF a man who not only knows
the game, but who has the moral coura ge
to stand up for what Is right. EMPIRES
must be made to know that they are ex-
pected to be honest and that they will he
protected in their work, matter what
owner they offend. Players must know
that they will suffer when they give offensc,
and owners must have some assurance
that each will get square deal. Given
this. the public will rally to the support
OF the league again, and the seats will be
filled at each game with people who have
paid money TO see ball games This fact
ought 10 be so plain to need no argll-
ment with the team owners. But it must
be understood at the very outset that tho
retirement iof oNeil 10 a condition
precedent to prosperity. The people will
not stand for another season of his
methods.
%
George Tebeau is quoted as saying he
would not take $4,000 for Kansas City. as
the team is paying him an income.on more
than that That is more than he can say
for Denver. but the fact that he has Sc
cured a new 20 run his Denver team
next season. and has signed some players.
seems to indicate that he will try to re-
vive the game in the Colorado capital. I;
is 20 be hoped that he does. Denver ought
TO be rightNin line with the best OF money
makers, but the people out there viii moi
stand for the sort OF base ball that has
been served to them this season. selee
is planning to put better team in the field
next season, and Ducly Holmes already
has a lively bunch together. even better
than he started with last spring. Papa
Bill Rourke is getting names to 1907 con-
tracts, and has at least three corking good
new zones signed. All OF which means tina,
the magnates expect to give the public
. new deal next summer. Sioux City and
Des Moines haven't shown any signs yet
but may be expected to do something Des
Moines will continue under the present
regime for at least one more season. and
that means that the cantiIions will have .
scrappy band OF ball players in the cham-
pon uniforms next season. All in all, Il
is up to the magnates 10 make good BY
putting In real president thus restoring
public confidence. and bringing out a few
real hall players, and the nightmare OF
1905 VIII be forgotten in the jubilee OF 1907.
The windup between Omaha and LAncolT
for second place Is even hotter today thar
II WAS a week ago The buckles had I