Omaha daily bee., 1909-04-18
ANS NOW IN THEIR GLORY
Xaior and Minor Base Ball Starts
with Flying ColOrs,
TOTAL COST PROVES ENORMOUS
Grounds and Players and Oreanisa-
tions All Cost Money, hut the
Fan Pays that Ne Mey
Have Good Ball.

NEW YORK, April lT.-with the most
perfect Organization of any professional
sport IN the world, and with more capital
Inv estcd TO secure its future than is in
vested TO further the requirements OF any
other organized sport. the base ball season
OF 1909 in major and minor leagues is now
under way.
While tine iayman In baseball who sits
on the bleachers OF in the grand stand pro-
fesses to entertain a certain amount OF
scorn a. 20 the money end of the sport. 4"
and the sums which are needed to main
tain II successfully. II is a fact that. from
the humblest cheering boy to the best sat
isfied millionaire who admires 'dad's first
game" there is a certain element of pride
in the fact that the horne team is doing
welr' and that the national pastime thrives
from away up in the corner CT Mains to
away down In the corner Of California.
offhand II may be said that a sum APP
proximatine 100000 has been devoted in
the last twelve months In a general way
to the betterment of the accommodations
for the game throughout the United States.
1t IL a good big roll of money TO be dis
trihuted solely to further recreation and
pleasure for the masses, and a summary
- - - ~ 49, h8fI
been made is not embarrassing.
First. let US look at the purchase Of a
splendid field and the erection Of a magni-
ficent stand by the Philadelphia American
league club. Uncle Ben" Shibe. the prin-
cipai owner Of that organization. has a
structure which Is a to base
ball by reason OF It's magnitude and mxur-
iousness. Architecturally beautiful. practi-
cally adapted to the uses to which it is 10
be put, 1t win be one Of the sights of the
substantial Quaker City. The present
National league stand in Philadelphia. al
though older. of itself is a tribute to the
game, and base ball patrons in the metro
polls of the Keystone state are provided for
in the future almost on a scale of grandeur.
Many Large improvements.
The Pittsburg base ball club has pur-
chased ground for a new and eapacious
field and is building as rapidly as possible
n grand stand and field stands. which are
but little less ornate, If any. than those in
Philadelphia. Reared aloft in steel and
concrete. the Pittsburg club will have an
enormous ''three-decker'; before the year
is over. which eventually may
date the huge number Of nearly 25,9Oo
patrcns.
Inc INV 1OTh ANhtAohoi iSoboo ~hob h~H
expended thousands Of dollars in improving
the structures on that historic field which
Is known throughout the length and
breadth Of the United States as the Polo
grounds.
The Cleveland base ball club has ex-
pended q large sum, not only in enlarging
fts beautiful park In the Forest City, but in
rebuilding the stands and making them
more comfortable for the patrons.
The Chicago American league base bali
club haze purchased a valuable lot of real
estate In that city, on which new stands
suitable to the uses of the club will be
built ere long. The Detroit club has in
vested a large sum in real estate for a new
field, and when ready the buildings for
that organization are promised to be
erected on a scale commensurate with that
which has been adopted in the other large
cities Of the United States.
The st. Louis National league club has
secured It's holdings on the real estate
which is under It's control, and better
stands are a future eift of the patrons OF
base bali there. The st. Louis American
League club has amplified and rebuilt its
stands. Cincinnati already has one of the
more elaborate stands OF the major league
circuit and the capacity OF the Chicago
National league ground was Increased
hugely by the rebuilding Of a greater part
OF the structures on that area.