The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1908-05-21
SPORTING NEWS.
BIG BAN WOULD STOP ALL
BETTING ON BALL GAMES

LII i i
WASHINGTON, May d.
! Although the baseball grounds are
still flooded from the effects OF
yestsrday's downpour, q strenuous
eUovt 10 being made TO have them
ready for play az q o'clock. In
case no rain Intervenes. this may
bo possible. The sky is extremely
cloudy, however.
hughes will probably pitch for
Washington. though Burns is a
possibility. Jennings may work
Slever, MuIIin or Summers.
President Ban Johnson OF the Ameri
can league has ordered all betting on
baseball games summary stopped III
the cities In which his league supports
memberships.
Have you heard about IL NO!
Well, Ii is true. just the same.
STOP BETTING ON BALL
a GAMESl" is Bans edict. sent out In
the form OF bulletin to each OF the
clubs. Just like that.
Gentle reader. II you had any inten-
tion OF taking small chance on the
M Tigers against Washington today. for
get It.. Ban has issued an 'edict.
Handbook men. beware! Ban has or
dered you to.stopi He says. the Ameri-
q, can league race Is not an instrument
for gambling purposes.
1i Ban says he simplyswon't allow it.
no therei
9. Up to datesalk presidential nantes
toes on the betting proposition have
sheen limited In their application to
1.-The baseball parks, over which the
Heague has mQuestioned sway, and to
the leagues players. both on or on
the Held, which IL another sphere In
(which the league. president is plainly
fempowereds to frtle. However. since
betting by athes general public on the
hall gamessoftfe big7eagues has quite
nargely supplnnted betting on horse
braces. Ban wants&to have the leagues
/. Influence thrown strongly against II
\ He snassasked theAassistance OF every
one or the. AlsagusN members to this
<pnd-
M HAn{is. ussquestiouabiys riaht.on \
III, the Enthusiastically 90. u
snDuht be saddsd swlpen oaoAa pprect-
ES ates the 'slxa-of<he proposition he
10 taci1fnp. = Betting; especiadyp
whsnSlndulgedi n.to.a,Iarpee xtenf
and In iarpessums, 10 undoubtedly
q threat atsthe honesty Of tho
oame, which has stood for 20
years IA tho one impeccable. pro-
fessionaI sport. Whatever tho
leagues members can do toward
81 abollshIno the tremendous hand
book play on the games played In
Its circuit Will be to q most
righteous end.
The morality feature laid aside,
there 10 always the chance that
betting may result in. scandal.
The men who bet heaviest on base
ball games are most OF them roorers
and sportsmen generally. Often they
have friends and acQuaintances. play
ing ball on the various teams. Ball
b players are no more angelic in their
honesty than the average run of men.
There II always the chance that some
player may, even unjnstly, be accused
by the hypercritical OF playing the sort
of bail In certain game which Will
favor the aide with which he Is
friendly in the betting duel downtown.
that has preceded the .game.
Big league baseball has been
Y through one scandal Of this sort
though perhaps too long ago to be
within the memory-of: the average dan
Of tbs present day.
Three players whose names are
meyer mentioned in the sporting prints
oePooday, weres detected In selling out
toanSbfg bettoe,aud threw gameaand.
\ 1uAoH probability. more than the one
M EumeSini which they were detected. rin
s 1nSpgs Of the ,plruger.s wagers.
zAe result virtually+wrecked the city
~ ~ forshtg league ball The
1n6uence OF the oct Is still felt In the
Rsutucky% metSopolfa,e even TO this
THD soLD NATIONAL LEAGUE
ACTmSPROMPrLY IN THE MAT
IDR xD THB THREE MEN
MENTIONED WE'RE FORMALLY
BARRED FROM ALL ORGANIZED
BA6EBALI4 AND WHETHER THEY
ARH ALIVE OR DEAD Now NO
\ BODY KNOWS.
Il II wisexto refer to this -once-in n
while, IN the way OF warning. II moth
ing alse.
~ Il IL no secret among baseball men
Z. IA1aL f(ucI Quilo u uuiHUeT OI Dtt5cr
y ball players who have fallen lately
into the habit OF betting on ball games.
They have never been known TO bet
on the opposition. even in games in
which they themselves are not com
II pettng. however. A pitcher may put
down q $40 note on his own game IL
he knows he Is to ascend the mound
and has confidence that he is right
X andf ready A member of the rank
+ and nle will occasionally try TO en-
hance-his income by backing his team
on q day he thinks It will win. In
side Information (which a player often
4 has. Regarding battery selections.
sometimes 1nfnences him, as a.temp.
fstion. He< reasons. and with some
Lode. that a;sbet on himself and his
team 4 II no possible source OF any.
~ thing but an increased endeavor to
Ii win.
But, Barr vsssons rightly, when