Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-12-03
THE DIAMOND
Plenty of Talk Just as the Cold Weather Sets in, About Next
 Season.

Tim Murnane, president of the New England baseball league and baseball enthusiast for thirty-fve years, was guest at the smoker of Alhambra council, Knights of, Co- lumbus in Worcester a few nights ago.
 Mr Murnane described the base ball and how 1t is made, and also the bat. There are now only two covers to a baseball instead of sev- eral, as there were when Tim start ed into the game.
 "The man who conceived the idea of cutting an orange in half had a wonderful idea, and it should have been patented. He lost millions by not patenting that arrangement for manufacturing baseballs. But the man who, made the round baseball bat, differentiating the stick from those that looked like cricket affairs, really made baseball. The combina- tion of baseball and the bat, &C., curately measured, 50 that the home plate would be the center of resist ance, did wonderful thing for baseball. These men really gave the game its start. Then there is the diamond, which was invented in 1S43. There has been no change in that. Was that not a wonderful thing to do?
 He said that members of the Knights of Columbus and the Catho- lie clergy have done great deal to foster interest in the healthfm pas time.
 ,"The Catholic clergy" said he, ''have helped the baseball in this country wonderfully. The people of the west are very liberal on base ball. They let the men play it there on Sundays. The clergy of the Cath ollie church have furnished great in- centive to the sport. It is cleaner game than it was when it started The clergy are largely responsible | for the progress of the game. 1 can remember way back when there was a pool right at the gates of the dia- mond. Then there were double crosses and lot of other things, too
 'In 1876 the game had gone tc the bad, but in 1878 and 1879 great and successful efforts were made tC build it up again by the Nationa | ci nj nS in, it then. Worcester had it's games about that time. I can well remem Der going out to the race track ant seeing Sullivan, Knight and Rich mond playing. There are some of vol here tonight who remember those fellows.
 'I want to say to you that win ming championship means a grea deal to a player You have no idei how a player loves to win a cham pionship, He begins on the bal team at school, then gets into tn minor leagues, then the majo leagues, and then into the biz leagues, and when he comes home i is very important to him whether h. has been in a championship game If he has lost, he, rather takes to thu other side of the street when h. meets you. The. winning of a cham pionship means as much to playe as did the planting of the banner of the Macedonians on the ancien city of Rome.
 Let me tell you something abou the growth of the game. At tn present time there are thirty-nin leagues represented by 250 cities Six thousand players are paid eacl year $6,000,000. It costs $9,00O, 900 a year to support the baseball teams of the country.
 Twenty millions witness the pro fessional games every year. The uni formed clubs are 12,000. Five thou sand games on some days during tn year are witnessed by an aggregat of 5000, 900 people. The attendanc at the games amounts to over 100, 000,000 year.
 Patrick c. Tehir introduced Mix Reagan. Everybody was cheering as they did for Murnane. In tn room were Kitty Bransfield, frs base for the Philadelphias; Franl , Courtney of Haverhill; John O'Har l of the Utica, N. r., state league Jack Sharrott, manager for the Low els; Frank Doran, catcher for tn Lowells; Captain Jack Carney of tn , Holy Cross team anr Bill Dyer, thir baseman for the Atlantas in tn Southern league and many others. , It was learned this week that whe the National commission hands dow l decision next week in rela ton t 1 the Chicago club ticket scandal whic : arose over the playing of the world . series last fall. it will be found ths Fin future the prices of admission fo l worlds championship games will b cut in half; also that the commissio will have exclusive charge of the sal of all tickets. It is said that tn prices will be finally fixed at $1, 7I 50 and 25 cents, which will DC VIC come news to the fans who have bee forced to pay eXorbitant rates in pas