The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-11-13
Baseball Commission De
serves Congratulations
for Investigating.
LOYAL FANS STUNG
BY FORMER LOSERS
Support Club in Hour of Adversely,
10 Be Overcharged When
Tide Turns.
By THOMAS S. RICE.

Congratulations are due the National
Baseball Commission for paying serious
attention to the claims that somebody
connected with the Chicago National
League club was standing In with ticket
spectators during the worlds series
games IN Chicago.
According to the latest reports the
commission has found the charges 20 be
true, but the details are withheld until
Chairman Garry Hermann Is able 20
meet the other members and formally
promulgate the verdict. II this is 50, Il
is 70 be hoped the commission will find
some means Of Furnishing the offenders
10 the limit.
An enterprise depending upon public
support and not always delivering the
goods, which takes advantage OF the
opportunity to scalp tickets on the peo-
PIE who have Loyalty supported 1t in its
hours Of adversely. is simply contempt
,ble, and no words of Censure for It's
management could be strong enough
To no other enterprise would these
words apply so forCibly as TO a baseball
club. Permanent champions are I'M
known IN baseball. After three or. four
years Of success at the longest, the
team must inevitably 80 to pieces and
one where il has to depend upon the
old-time friendship of the fans 70 sup
port it.
IngTatitude to Fans.
When the team is down and out the
owners and managers invariably make
1eTvent appeals 10 the fans to come to
the front, encourage the men, and keep
the town on the baseball map The
pride of the followers OF the game is
Taked up as a reason for their handing
over good money TO see a quality OF ball
far inferior to that to which they have
been accustomed, and, in the big leagues.
it is seldom this appeal is not effective
in producing dividend-paying crowds.
For that same club when It becomes a
winner because cheerfully helped when
a loser to stand in with ticket scalpers,
and thereby Overcharge its faithful ad-
herents. Is so thoroughly unsportsmau-
like, and such q glazing instance OF in
gratitude, that all connected with the
underhand work are UNIT Tor dSSOCld-
tiOn with the national pastme. which is
believed TO be the cleanest professional
sport in the world.
The criminal court OF Nashville, Tenn.
has decided that a ball player in uni
form" who smites an ObstTeperOus ian
who calls him vile names for making
q mistake In a game is perfectly justi-
ned. Catcher Hurlburt of the Nash
vile team smashed a. &. STdttOn, a
merchant, In the face because Strattou
insisted upon calling him ''hamfat' and
other things IN the progress OF a. con-
test last summer. This Is a good deCi-
slCn and should put a damper on some
OF the lOuQ-nOuthed individuals who
are so fond Of roaring abuse at "A play
er when ne fails to accomplish the i'm
possible or Is unsuccessful when try
ing his best The theory Of personal
vengeance is stronger In the South than
around mere, and q court in the North
would probably nne the player some
thing for FORMS sake, but II the judge
were clean cut himself 1t Is not likely
that IN any section he would heavily
punish a player who CuTbed the out
pouring OF a certain class Of roOters-
The greatest drawback TO rugby foot
ball is the difficulty in telling who
makes the plays II takes man with
sharp eyes and the power OF second
sight added who can keep the names
straight when the game Is moving fast
An effort TO improve the conditions viii
be made when University of Pitts
burg plays the Carlisle Indians in
Pittsburg tomorrow. Every man on the
two squads, regulars and substitutes,
VIII be marked with a large number.
and the numbers will be set forth in
the program. All that remains now IS
to see that the numbers are fastened
on strong enough TO stay. Contestants
in field and track meets are numbered.
but IL is a safe statement that as a
rule Is per cent OF the tags are pinned
so insecurity that they are sGOnstanuy
Mapping around or falling % entirely.
That P1ttsDurg scheme might be tried
by some Of the Washington eleveus as
an experiment. 1t could do no harm and
might do good