Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-24
hat no new attendance records would be

that no new attendance records would be
made
The safe margin by which Pittsburg
held New York in the last four weeks of
the season is responsible for the Amer
lean League outdrawing the National this
year. While the Giants and Cubs and
Pirates were playing to ordinary crowds
late in September. the Tigers were pack
ing the parks on the eastern end of the
circuit. and a rough estimate of the TO-
tails show that the National League fell
off about 100000 as compared to last year.
while the American outdrew its rival by
little more than 100000.
Base ball continues to grow and ey-
pand. and is now recognized as a huge
business proposition. The national com
mission is such a big clearing house now
that extra men must be added to do the
work. A few years ago a club owner
spending s3o0.OC0 on base ball plant
would have been considered crazy. This
year two new plants were opened. one
costing S50O.O00 and the other close to
sSOO,eOO. The day is coming when seats
for $1,000 persons will be provided when
new plants are built. Truly this is the
golden era of the game, and as long as
it's honesty continues to be so carefully
safeguarded there is no predicting what
it's limits will be.
Banner Worlds Series.
AS fitting climax to the greatest sea-
son, the Detroit and Pitsburg teams
| have just finished one of the most in
teresting and best contested series ever
played for the worlds championship. The
winner had little to boast of and the loser
was great even in defeat.
Base ball has sustained some distinct
losses this year An unusual succession
Of fatalities in the National League
eliminated in the death of Harry
Pullam by his own hand. In the
six weeks preceding the suicide of
one of the most honest and fearless Off
Gals the National League ever had. the
Boston and Philadelphia clubs lost their
heads by sudden death. George r. Dewey
president OF the Boston club dying sud-
denly on a train, and Israel Durham,
president OF the Philadelphia club. drop
ping dead Oh the street Among the
noted players the death of Maurice Pow
ers. for years catcher with the Phila-
delpH1a Athletics, was a sad affair. Pow
ers virtually died in harness. as he was
stricken during game and died in few
days.
The season was marked by a shifting of
big league managers. no less than six
new pilots taking charge a. the beginning
of the season. Three big league leaders
quit in midseason or were supplanted
| and at least two others will be deposed
this winter. The disgrace Of owning
| losing team and the clamoring of the fans
| in second division cities brought these
| changes about. The writer cannot re-
member any season where so many man.
ayers were on the anxious seat.
The most notorious failure of manager
who gave promise of turning out win
ner was that of Frank Bowerman. He
kept the Boston team in the first division
| for about three weeks and then the Doves
| made record time in downward flight.
Bowerman went to pieces, and after
| Doveys death he resigned.
Harry Smith, who succeeded him, seems
| II
again next spring.
Cities that virtually kicked out their
managers were ST. Louis, Cleveland and
Washington. The American League lead
ers In these cities We're forced to bow TO
public opinion. In Cleveland Napoleon
LajOie was succeeded in midseason by
Jim Mcguire, the Frenchman resigning
after being boss for nearly five seasons.
Lajoie remains with the team a pri
vate in the ranks. McAleer got out be-
cause of criticism heaped on him for the
| poor showing of the Browns. who were
expected to be factors in the pennant race
| this season because of their great squirt
at the close of last season. Cantillon
tried for three seasons to get the Wash
| ington team out of last place and failed.
He has not been asked to renew his con-
| tract, and McAleer will take up his bur-
| den.
| Success and Failure.
| OF the new managers who started out
last spring, Clark Griffith, Cincinnati;
Fred Lake. Boston, and George Stallings,
New York, have made good. Lumley was
failure in Brooklyn and will be re-
placed, and in st. Louis Roger Bresna-
hans debut as manager was spoiled py
| the slump of his team in the last two
months of the season and it's finish in
seventh place Bresnahan will be retain
ed. but has a hard job ahead of him.
Griffith took the Reds into the first di-
vision and kept them there. feat which
no Cincinnati manager has accomplished
| IN recent years. Lake fell heir to some
| fine athletes. whom he handled cieverly
and he is solid In Boston. Stallings
| fought hard with a constantly shifting
infie'd and by the fine finish of his team
| earned the right to further trial.
| No big scandal, such as the alleged UNI
! pire bribing case of last fall has devel-
| oped this year. although the charges
made by two disgrunted men have not
! done the game any good The frequent
| outbursts of Charles Webb Murphy, own
err of the Chicago Nationals, have dis
gusted other prominent base ball men
| and patrons of the game as well. Muir
| ply has not shown himself to be good
year. and blamed umpires for losses of
games. He made ugly charges against
Umpire Klein, and, although he later
! withdrew them. he will have to answer
| for his actions at the league meeting this
winter. Murphy has done altogether too
much talking. The national commission
! has just handed him a Knockout and in
| time he may learn that silence is a val
! liable asset to a base ball owner.