The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-02-18


OF all OF the clubs in the American
League. Boston IS the most anxious TO
land Slahl Il is said that Washington
would be willing to allow Stahl 10 go FOR
Grimshaw and Hobe Ferris, but while
the Hub people arc willing to give Grim
shaw, they refuse 20 consider deal in
which Ferris figures. Cant.Ilon says Jake
is a better man than Unglaub. but even
if he should consent TO such a transfer.
Chick StahI would oppose it. as he thinks
that Ungiaub viii fit in nicely in the re-
organized BUstCns. Cleveland is willing
to do business for Jake Stalii. but as the
Maps have no good players to spare it
appears as though the eX-manager viii
eventually land in Boston. ST. Louis has
put in bid for the player, but there is
nothing in the Mound City that catches
Conullons eye
Myron ". Townsend. formerly OF the
Boston Post. who has just taken charge
OF the sporting page of the ST Louis
Sta:-Chr0niclc. begins his work with the
following sensible announcement:
NO writer ever was smart enough to
fool the readers Of a sporting page. They
square and writes Jn.uss as ne secs taem,
without regard 20 outside Influences, he
Viii be folsveI, even If ne gIuvely pre-
diets that John /. Sullivan can whip
James j. Jeffres.
Likes or dislikes, personal DrejUdiceS,
private opinions must not way the writer
from exact justice TO every actor in the
world of sport. Private quarrels are not
public quarrels.
Both ST. Louis ball teams have en-
Gagged competent managers TO run their
clubs. Newspaper men have proved dire
failures as managers.
,'Pennant winners cannot be directed
from sporting sanctums, but good ball
teams can be broken up and disoTganized
and good players discouraged and render
ed useless by indiscriminate criticism.
If fielder makes errors and loses the
game. why Unnerve him and destroy his
self-conhdence by attacking him? lie feels
his position more keenly than his critics
possibly can.
why hound a manager TO release,
bench. or Try out this man or that2
Hold him responsible for results, but
give him free reign to exercise his judg-
ment. His bread and butter depends or
his success No amount of carpin5 or
fault-Hnding adds one i0ta to the playing
strength of q ball team
IndScriminate boosting is even more
harmful than indiscrminate knocking
The public loses confidence in a writer
who has not the courage TO call a spade
spade. Black isn't white, and no puny
penman can make it SO.
class counts. Continuous chapters. of
praise cannot perform miracles by turn
ing tail-enders into pennant-winners.
Nor will the public swallow such
slUsh They will dissect the motives of
the writer
rs he on friendly terms with the owner
Of manager of this bah team? Is he
treating both leagues fairly, or is he dis
tortng The facts to further his private
ends?
If personal prejudices or graft in
fueHce ana opinion. it is worthless and
contemplate"
Several baseball clubs in the major
leagues. notably Cleveland in the Ameri-
can and Chicago in the National. have
made rather cheap plays for public favor
OF late by making megaphone announce
ments of the tremedous expense to which
they have been put in their efforts to
give their home city a pennant-winning
team.
The .'highest-salaried baseball team in
the land will soon be as numerous as
the oldest resident OF the State" or the
man who first suggested the fJul-strike
rule. No sooner has one club made pub
lie the statement that its yearly salary
list runs up into startling figures and is
unquestionably the highest ever known in
baseball than another magnate comes out
with a similar claim for his own organi-
cation; and thus it goes until every club
owner who fancies advertising Of that
sort has had his say.
Baseball is what the ordinary patron
of the national sport pays to see, and
baseball he viii have. If he doesn't get
it, his fayOrite seat will soon be left
vacant for some less particular spend
thrift A winning team will get the
patronage, no matter whether the salaries
paid aggregate a sum wei up into six
figures or represent the smallest total on
the circuit
Discussions of the salary question will
occasionally create a ripple of interest at
time when there Is no actual game in
the foreground. but in the long run dol
lars and cents do not enter into the cal
cuiatiOns of the fam and he wouldn't care
If the players were working for mere
pastime as long as they delivered the
The team that wins games. be its salary
list large or small viii get the patron
age wherever real baseball interest ex-
lists, and the loser will play To empty
seats even II the financial outlay il rep
resents is the most colossal in the his
tory of the sport
OF course the fans have a deep-rooted
admiration for the club owner who pur-
sues Il liberal policy and is not tight
listed when an opportunity to improve
the team or general conditions presents
itself. but generally there is little love
for the man who is always calling atten-
tion to the money he spends, and if the
team doesn't win, all the salary stories
that can 6e written viii not draw crowds
to the ball park
1t was only few years ago that both
major baseball leagues seriously con-
templated curtailing spring training trips
both in expense and length Of time to be
spent in the South, and yet this year the
club owners are going to the other ex-
IRENE. Many clubs have planned to go
South much earlier than usual. and two
clubs. the Chicago White Stockings" and
the New York Giants" are to take ex-
tended trips. COmiskey's men go to the City
OF Mexico. while McGraw's players train
IN Los Angeles. 1t is not difficult to un-
derstand this change Of base. especially
BY American League clubs. The races in /
this tea.11e the mast two or three years