The Washington times., 1908-12-12
Cantillon No Longer Seems
Anxious TO Trade Prom
ising Pitcher.
BAN JOHNSON HAS
KEEN EYE FOR ADS
Saw the Value of The Times
Suggestion and Adopt
ed 1t.
By THOMAS S. RICE.

BY IhOMAS y RlCE-
We note with approval that the mania
which seemed u possess Manager Joe
Cantillon of the Washington ball team.
for trading Clymer, his only hitting out
fielder, and Bin Burns, one Of the most
promising ieft-hardei pitchers ia the
country. seems to be dying out. and
Ihat his mental vision is clearing.
Nay. SO great has been the improve
ment In the manager thal he has even
been quoted as saying that he might be
persuaded tu trade smiley and Keep
Burns. Tha5 is a possibility which has
occurred 10 several thousand fans heIc.
but it did nos jawn on Cantil.ol until
the Gag end OF the American League
meeting in New York.
The offer Of he pick OF about twenty
men on the Washington team for
Eiberfeld strikes US as little
liberal. There are some men un the
Washington roster who -ould well De
traded for Elbcrfeld. but # BIN Burns IS
among the twenty Cantillon had in mind
when he made his ofTeT. his sense OF
proportion is badly twisted.
There is very large class or low
brOwed and loud-taIking persons who
take It for granted that every sporting
event is either an active fraud or could
easily be turned into one 1t is a class
very prevalent in New York, where It is
much given TO splitting through its teeth
and talking out Of the corner of its
mouth That some OF these potential
sec0ud-story men and brace dealers got
the idea into their heads they could buy
Umplres Klein and JOhnstope and make
Il a sure-thing for New York to win
the National League pennant, there can
be little doubt. II was just the ldrl OF
q ssnd-bagging job that would appeal to
1irst-past-the- post workers. and the only
wonder is that they have not tried the
scheme before. For that reason we are
inclined to give credit 10 the reports OF
the seriousness Of the alleged attempt
10 bribe the umpires Should the people
who tried 10 turn the trick be convicted.
we hope it will be before dyspeptic
judge who has been up all the night be-
fore handling colicky twins. and there
fore feeling savage against the entire
world. Baseball is q great public instl-
tuition. and no punishment could be too
great for the man who aspires to turn
IL into system Of robbery for tinhorns-
President Ban Johnson or the Amer
lean League kept his promise to The
Times and carried through at the meet
ing In New York a rue by which all
the clubs in the circuit viii have to
adopt a system by which the spectators
can tell exactly who is on the field in
n ball game Whatever his other faults
may be. Johnson is not lacking In APP
probation Of the possibilities OF adver-
tising re saw that The Times sug
gestion would make a big hit with the
fans and be a distinct Improvement
over the conditions ~ rIch viii obtain
I'm the National League unless that or
ganization adopts the same rule, where
fore ne promptly put tbs American
League on record as leading IN a very
much needed reform The fans or
Washington will see the difference next
season n the leagues ruling is consci-
entiously carried out.
While we are complimenting people
we have never hesitated to criticise,
We would like to say that there is much
truth in Jim Sullivan's reply to Baron
de CoubertiD. that the International
Olympic committee is an impractical
organization. The fact that James Haz-
en- Hyde, who, when he lived in the
United States was about as far from
the type Of the average American as
could be imagined. and Prof. Sloan. Of
Columbia. are the American repTeSeu-
tatlVes on the committee. speaks for it.
self and is a clear evidence that in
this one instance, at least, Sullivan is
in right Whether the A. A. L. was
polite I'm going 10 the front at this
time with a resolution 10 call an inter
national conference to discuss the
games Is another matter.
Cantilion says the slury the Washing
ton team would train at Hickman, Ky.
instead Of Galveston was a fake orig
mating with a space writer. but il was
q first class advertisement for Hick-
man, KY, and put that town on the
map for a few minutes.
somehow, it is not clear just what the
Boston Americans gained by trading
Lou Criger to st. Louis as long as Cy
Young Is pitching Ike he did in 1908
When manager advertises a boxing
show and does not have the coin to
pay the fighters II the house happeus
20 be smaller than expected he should
stop promoting Running a boxing club
Is not all beer and skittles, and II a
man loses on one venture he should have
capital enough and sameness enough
10 stand the gaff in the hope OF getting
square in the future.