Omaha daily bee., 1908-12-20
OMAHA SUNDAY BEE


a Cornhusker foot ball team will soon
be adjusted. Nothing so surely af-
fects adversely the chances for a winning
team as this sort OF division. The aspect
OF two young men, each with seven votes
behind him, standing firm and demanding
the leadership is not an encouraging spec
tacle. IL shows an absolute lack of that
team spirit that is so essential to victory
and which must be had or the sport suf-
fers. It is not sportsmaniike. either. The
difference should be adjusted quickly be-
fore tho division extends to the student
body and ~ serious dissension springs up.
Only one man can be captain, and he is
entitled to the unanimous and loyal sup
port of all the rest. This can not be had
as long as the personal ambitions Of two
members of the team are allowed 20 divide
the organization. Get together should be
the w~atchword at Nebraska.
The National Base Ball commission has
found 81 necessary after a complete in
vestigation OF the facts. to report THAT
the Chicago CNationals) club is de-
serving Of the severest criticism
and censuro for the manner IN
which # handled the sale of tickets
during the last worlds series and that II
mist be held responsible for the great an
noyance 1t caused patrons of the game in
Chicago Popular as are the Chicago
Cubs, this criticism by the governing body
OF organized base ball will be rather gem
orally appIauded-though the occasion for
1t is deplored-and the statement by the
commission that hereafter It will take
charge OF the sale of tickets for these
worlds series will be received with APP
prevail. President Murphy has achieved a
financial success in base ball little short
of marvellous for the brief period of his
career. But il a sordid determination TO
get dollars Is to be the sequel Of this sue
cess. it were better for base ball had Mr..
Murphy failed financially. Personally, the
president OF the Cubs Is excused from any
collision with the parties who executed
this coup de finance at the expense OF the
game and its patrons. That's nice, but IL
Mr.. Murphy did nothing to cause the SCAM
dal it's too bad he also did nothing to
prevent il, The radical decline in attend
ance upon the last few games OF the last
worlds series was somewhat OF a testi-
monial Of the working of a traffic in base
ball admissions. Decent fans who wanted
TO see Chicago and Detroit fight it out and
were willing to pay any honest price, were
deprived of the privilege because a hand
full of gamblers somehow. by some mys-
terious combination. got in on the ground
floor and cornered the tickets. Too bad
for Mr.. Murphy that, innocent of any
charge Of wrongdoing, he is at the same
time unable to throw that light on the
situation that would reveal the guilty par
ties and permit himself to enjoy his full
measure OF vindication. Gambling of that
sort, like gambling of any other sort,
cannot be tolerated in base ball with inn
punity to the game and will not be.
Gotch will nave to ccme on home and
kattend to this Yusiff Mahmout person yet.
D les about the worst Turk the Sultan has
sent over. He has thrown Jenkins, Bell
and Americas in turn and hasn't lost a
Illl. That looks ominous. When he came
over and started In by throwing Tom
jenkins nobody took much notice OF him
for Jenkins has been a dead one since little
Freddie Beell made a monkey Of him, but
when the Turk came and beat Beell in
straight falls, the wrestling gentry began
to take notice. Then when Il was ex-
planned that only the Turks immense
strength and weight gave him the victory
over Beell, the excitement abated again.
Now comes Mr.. Mahmout and puts George
Observation-Disclosures Baltimore down
in straight falls. Americas has thrown
Been and expressed an ambition TO meet
Gotch. The Turks career certainly puts
him on the mat and may be considered as
giving him a valid claim TO a match with
the worlds champion. who doubtless would
be eager to meet him.
These changes of managers ought to have
a good effect at the box office next sea-
son, for they will certainly serve to quicken
interest in major league circles. What fan
Will not be eager to see how Roger Bres-
nahan handles the Cardinals, or who won't
want to look on while Clark Griffith is
trying his hand for lat least one season
as manager of Cincinnati and who can
measure or estimate the degree of interest
that will center on New York Americans
with George Stallings as their leader? AL
OF these teams nave been down in the
valley of the shadow OF death, metaphor.
ically speaking, for some years, and now
each will have a star of some magnitude
To guide It out and up on the high grounC
OF renewed life. What will the answer be,
The base ball public will be willing to wait
but not without watching and that will b'
one factor making toward the great sue
cess OF 1909.
II is a matter of special interest to thc
base bali world that at this late day the
famous old Boston battery. Young and
Criger. should be separated. Criger's sal,
10 ST. LOUIS Browns leaves Cy Young IN,
only member of the original Taylor team
Old Lou win find erris. Dineen, Stone
former Bostonians and his old running
mate. Jimmy McAleer, who secured him
for company In st. Louis. His addition tC
the Browns probably will give then
strength. 1t brings out the fact that Nc,
Alcer is not afraid Of the old-timers. H,
has several
Thus far the Western league has moi
followed the American association in abcl-
fishing ladies' days. Mike CantiIlon opposes
the action In the American league, main
tanning that the fair ones are essential &c
the game. Sounds sound.
The annual announcement that "Comis-
key ana johnson have buried the Ratchet
is being repeated more times this winter
than any preceding midseason for f1vS
years. Dope Is a little short this winter.