Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-05-29
LET'S HAVE A TALK
Result of Winning Pennant is
Growing All Too Apparent
in Rock Island.
EFFECT ON ATTENDANCE
Not Satisfied With Results Of, Former
Years-Time for Some Prac-
teal Patriotism.

Let's nave heart to heart talk
among ourselves.
In the early days of the Three-Eye
league the opinion was frequently ex
pressed by experienced baseball men
that winning pennant would not be
a good thing for town ,notwithstand
ing such a contamination is the
goal of every teams ambition. There
were, on the other hand, those who
made light of such statements, hold
ing that the winning of pennant
does not carry any handicap with it.
However, it has only been within the
last couple of years, loyal as Rock
Island has been, that the baseball
spirit was generally believed strong
enough to pass through the ordeal of
pennant winning,
Last year the Islanders captured
the prize and this year, as has been
the experience in practically all minor
league towns, the attendance is fall
ing off, and, to be frank among our
selves, there is a painful lack of the
baseball spirit that has been so char
acteristic in former years, and this in
the face of the fact that the Islanders
this season are in general sense
no weaker than they have been in
other seasons and have been winning
about half their games
Probably the team of 1901, the year
the league was organized, was the
most pronounced fizzle of any the city
| 10 lo in thn fn1l N
Rock Island came up smiling and
ready to go on. So has been each sue.
ceeding year since.
Two Reasons Contribute.
There are two reasons contributing
to the attendance showing this sea
son. One is the fact that the highest
possible honors were captured last yeal
and the team is not as strong as last
season. and is not winning as great 6
percentage of its games. The other
may be the boycotting of the city by Wis
| iting teams. The former reason fol
lows in the natural course of events
and cannot be avoided, and the Other
is one for which the local manage
ment certainly ought not to bt
blamed. The Rock Island association
ought not be boycotted by people o
the town simply because other cite:
are boycotting Rock Island.
| Other cities that have the same ey
perience after winning the bunting il
this league. are rapidly called to mind
| Rockford slumped so badly that thu
| following year it was necessary t.
take the team away and place it else
where Bloomington suffered such
setback that it was barely able 10 pull
| through and has never been a goo
ball town since. Dubuque emerge'
| last season. after an uphill fight TO
two years after gaining the flag. by tn
skin of it's teeth, and Belden Hill ha
lplenty of trouble at Cedar Rapids TO
flowing the carrying away of the leagu
honors in 1896.
should BE an Exception.
1t is up to Rock Island now to be a
Exception to the general rule. Thos
who argued that winning a pennan
would not affect the game here shoul
stand by their guns and make it
point to boost the team. An occ;
sional poor demonstration of ball pla!
ing should not lead those who hav
been faithful all along to sulh in thei
ltents now. The local management
lsparing no effort to strengthen wea
points and will succeed in time.
OF course there are several hundre
loyal fans who stick by the team wi
or lose. They realize that the vii
ming of pennant is not all there
to baseball, that the game itse
should be the chief attraction an
that the spirit of true sportsmanshi
demands consistent support. Such a
latitude, however, is not as commo
as it should be and the attendant
must pick up or Rock Island will M
have Glass B ball another. year.
1t is a time for practical patriotism
[ Be game. Be on hand every day
Show the league that Rock Island
Z lstrong enough to get the prize ar
lremain in the race afterward.-
II ot,c mako good