Omaha daily bee., 1908-06-07


made a bid for notoriety by trying
20 prove that base ball In stupid and
NJ unpopular As Boston has been play
ing Il for several years. maybe there
IL some ground for this assumption. but,
looking beyond the city limits Of Boston,
what2 In all probability this crank Is one
who gets up and leaves the game in the
latter half Of the ninth inning when the
bases are full, there are two out. the home
team is at bat and tho score is / 70 0
against H.
Populsr7 Let's SEE. Here IL a game in
which tens OF millions Of dollars are In
vested and from which tens OF millions are
being made. Great industries have sprung
up and are being maintained that give
employment to vast numbers Of individuals
rs a direct result Of this game Fortunes
lre being accumulated from year TO year
from this game by men who perhaps would
remain poor for a lifetime but for the
game OF base ball. To a single game
thousands Of men. women and children go.
often enoountering genuine hardship in
order to avail themselves OF the privilege,
And as 20 the best "citizenry' not patron
hing the game. that is a bit Of nonsense
hat laughs itself into absurdity.
Stupid wen the fact that only the
merest minimum OF the men who go into
protest. nrl base ball ever attain sufficient
skill TO ,iye Ulem a place In either of the
major leagues and maintain that place Il
the best ar sument as TO the utter stu
pidity Of this criticism. Quick thinking,
Rlertness in mind, agility in body, resources
iulness. strategy, generalshp-all these are
Elements Of character necessarily devel-
bped by base ball. Great business men
have frequently said that e successful
base ball player ought to make a successful
business mar. since precisely the same
qualities are brought Into action in both
spheres Of endeavor.
Big. brainy men have developed the game
81 base ball and they have made It, be-
Tond all doubt or question. the greatest
game OF The ages. They have gone on
from year 10 year studying out this minute
detail and that to see il 1t was not possible
TO produce Improvement. These men are
men who take high rank in business and in
technical and professional lines OF life,
men Of proven ability.
What other game IL there. or has there
ever been in which educated and cultured
men could engage and produce good llveli-
hoods and completeness for themselves
and their families? Take these men who
have spent the longest periods at ball play
ing and examine their characters and sta
lions In life. Are they stupidH Let us
take, for instance. the veteran Jim o'Rourke
Of bridgeport, Con He has been playing
base ball for over forty years, having been
for more than half hat time one OF the
greatest players OF history. What is he, a
stupid mollycoddle? Why. he's a rich, in
fluential and most highly esteemed man;
a man OF affairs In his home city and
state; has been mayor Of Bridgeport and
is considered by the best men in the civic
and eompercial interests OF his city. He
has reared a family and he owns. today
the base ball team of his city and plays
regularly. Take, IL other Example are
necessary. Al Spalding. head OF the great
commercial institution that bears his name;
Al Reach, Ned Henlea, John NJ. Ward,
George A. Van Haftren. A. G. Arson,
Charles A. Comiskey. These men are pro-
ducts OF base ball. They have spent their
lives in II, They were all one day star
players, as today they are stars in the
vast firmsnent that sdorns the great
American game. Stupid? How. then. could
a stupid institution produce brilliant men
of It's champions?