The San Francisco call., 1908-11-29

the STRATEGY of President J. Cal Ewing
and the other powers OF the coast
league to turn the tide of battle in
their favor.
JOHNSON Is NEEDED
The situation has come to such
serious pass that it requires the pres
ence of that wonderful baseball or
ganizer, President Ban Johnson OF the
American league, to line the opposing
forces up and bring about peace, Ine t
only salvation for baseball on the coast.
If Johnson fails to accomplish this enc;
then the battle will be waged with all
its fury.
There is no question that the
visit of Johnson to California early
next month signifies that his presence
here is needed sadly. Though NOBODY
has confirmed the report, 1t is fore
gone conclusion that Johnson comes
upon the urgent invitation of Presi-
dent Ewing. who laid all his troubles
bare when he conferred with the big
mogul of baseball last month
johnson will find work in plenty Tor
him when he arrives in San Francisco,
the center of action and the orbit on
which the circuit swings. He Will dis-
cover first of all that the McCreole
interests in Portland are very much
dissatisfied with the present arrange
ments and are going ahead with prep
arations to put team in the North-
western league, which will play on the
same grounds as the coast league
team when the latter is on the road.
Johnson will also discover that
some Of the outlaw state league
officials have been won over and
are ready to come into the fold or or
ganized baseball, while the real enc
mics, the crackerjack Stockton and
San Jose teams, are still strong 1or
outlaw ball and have signifed their
intention to keep on fighting. Surely,
Johnson will have to win these war
ring factions over before ne can nope
to induce the dove of peace to con-
sent to occupy its perch in per-
fectly organized California baseball
camp.
CONFLICT IN PORTLAND
Another perplexing question which
will confront the great American
league leader is that of the circuit Tor
the coast league next season. The
very fact that the Portland interests
halked and decided upon two teams IN
the Oregon metropolis, when two more
cities, Sacramento and Venice. were
added to the circuit, at once conVlnceS
the knowing baseball fan that Nc
Credie and his followers are sore ana
jealous at California and that they IN
tend to have their revenge, no matter
what it means to baseball.
Will McCredie be allowed to get
away with such propositlon! rms
is a puzZling question, and 1t may be
passed up to the national commission
before it is finally settled. No other
magnate in this country has ever at
tempted such scheme Two rival ball
teams in the same town, controlled by
the same man who will have to swear
allegiance to rival league presidents. is
rather an exaggerated baseball puzzle.
Mercedes contemplated action Will
not only be the cause of a weird base
ball tangle, but it will also prove
trying test for the Pacific coast league.
If Portland has club in the North
western leagu it must naturally be
directly under the influence of PFesi~
dent Lucas of that organization and
Manager Dugdale of the Seattle team,
two of the most bitter enemies the Pa
cific league has ever had to cope with.
These men will therefore stand
splendid chance to gain a stronghold in
Portland and possibly undermine the
coast league there.
FANS SORE AT McCREDIE
Mercedes recent policy in the north
ern city has proved anything but Dopu-
Beavers captured the pennant two
years ago the people of the Oregon
metropolis have been baseball mad and
wild to be in the lead. The seasons of
Portland, till, at the present time,
many of the faithful followers of the
game are up in arms, shouting for a
winning team. A we'll known Portland
rooter said in this city the other day:
"The McCredies have been running
our team on shoestring policy. They
are too cheap, and now the fans are
beginning to realize it and are getting
and manager who is willing to spend
money on one. Whatever is expended
will come back tenfold with the pen
nant. Portland is one OF the best ball
towns in the country. and it deserves
better team than McCredie has been
putting in the field lately"
And when the question of win
ming team comes up, the fans of San
Francisco surely have a license to
stand up and shout q bit for thei1.
rights. Imagine one of the grandest
oil I.
represented by a near tail end aggre-
CATION for the last seven years 1T is
high time for somebody TO start
something in the baseball line here.
for if any fans in the country are
entitled to proper representation in 4
pennant race they are the San Fran
cisco rooters-
WE NEED WINNING CLUB
San Francisco has drawn big
last two years and the club has
made money. but this is not the issue
It is foregone conclusion that the
and the receipts correspondingly so If
we had team like last years Los
Angeles aggregation for instance San
Francisco in the Coast league is what
New York is in the National league
the pivot of the circuit. If the game
is good he0 the whole league is
bound to profit.
What will become of the outlaw
stars of the Stockton team provided
that johnson and the Coast league Of
ficials are successful in their endeav-s
ors to bring the leading rival organi-
zation into the fold? Won't there he
some fine scrambling for such men
as Shay Moskiman, Aforiarity,
Hackett Chase, Henderson and the
others? Their cases will add another
live chapter to the country's baseball
history
Surely such men as these will not
be allowed TO remain with class B
team Nearly every one of them last
season received moro money than the