Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-04-09
COAST LEAGUE
NEEDS NEW HEAD
EWING PROVES THAT HE IS IN
COMPETENT
PERMITS MERCEDES TO BLUFF
HIM IN OLSON CASE
Informs Berry That He ls PowerIess
to Act--crudely Sidesteps His
Plain Duty-Fans Demand
Prompt Action
BY JAY DAVIDSON

B1 JAN OAFAOSON
That the Coast league is badly in
need of a president with a real spine
was given emphatic illustration yes
terday when ]. Cal Ewing, the spine-
less incumbent, officially made 1t
known that he is up tree" and pow
erless, or afraid, to act in the matter
of charges against Olson, the rough
riding specialist OF the Portland team,
who put Cap Dillon out of business last
Sunday after he had spiked Dad
Wheeler and tried to get his spikes
into Delmasf anatomy. Ewing made
the amazing statement that he was
unable to take any official action in
the matter because Umpire Toman had
not put Olson out of the game. This
startling bit of sidestepping will thor
oughly convince the Los Angeles fans,
if not the fans of the entire league CIR
cult, that the little man-afraid- of-his-
job now on duty at San Francisco Is
badly in need OF someone capable of
writing o resignation for him. He
probably is powerless to act in that
capacity, also.
1t is the worst case of fright ever
exhibited by baseball president. That
the Mercedes have his goat is GER
pended or thrown out of the league,
as he deserves to be for his dirty work.
1t also means that henceforth every
player in the Coast league jurisdiction
will be encouraged to play rowdy ball
and that rowdyism may be INDUCED
with impunity as long as Ewing is on
the throne because he is afraid to act.
His refusal to act in the matter or
charges is rank Notwithstanding
any other club than Portland been
guilty of the rowdy baseball that Olson
is charged with the presentation of
formal charges by the president of the
affected club would have been suffi-
cient to draw down immediate sus-
pension pending investigation. But the
Mercedes went into the breach for
served notice that If Olson was given
any penalty the Los Angeles team
would be boycotted, McCredie would
sell his good players, IL he has any,
and make his team no drawing card
and would wind up by busting" up
the league by withdrawing.
Just how McCredie works his charm
on Ewing does not appear on the sur
face, but Ewing acts like he was in
debt to the Portland magnate. He may
not owe him a cent, but II not, then he
is a spineless weakiing and should re-
sign or be removed by the Coast league
directors. McCredie has been a thorn
in the Coast league flesh ever since he
has been the holder of q franchise In
that organization. He has played the
baby act every time he was in a fair
break with the other teams. He cries IL
he gets one day the worst of the sched-
ule that he usually draws for the Coast
league clubs, he bawls IL his team gets
beat, and he whimpers all the time II
his ideas are not Incorporated into law.
This big overgrown baby who is pos.
ing as sportsman should not be per-
mitted to further be a burden on the
other clubs of the league. Instead of
waiting for him to carry out some of
his bluffs about Withdrawing from the
league, the latter should declare his
franchise forfeited, take his players
away from him and put the team in the
hands of some real sportsmen in Port
land who would give that city a good
season of respectable baseball.
According to the agreement that Nc
Creole and all other holders of fran
chises in the Coast league have entered
into, the territorial rights and the play
ers on all clubs belong to the Coast
league and both are subject to for
fixture at any time that the terms of
award of the franchise are violated.
McCredie cannot sell a player without
the consent of the president of the
league because the players belong to
the league. He cannot break up the
league by Withdrawing because his first
effort in that direction would be a
voluntary forfeiture of his franchise.
Portland is such good baseball town
that the money necessary to finance a
team there In the Coast league could
be raised in a day.
mates should do, and do without delay,
Is to cali a meeting and insist that
Ewing perform the duties required of
him in such cases as that of the COM
plant of Olson and then force him to
resign and elect man with some
backbone, a man like Hen Berry. This
little baldhead has enough sand in his
craw to act as his duty requires and
he Is clean, high class sportsman who
does not believe in rowdy baseball and
will not stand for 1t. McCredie cannot
bluff Hen for minute, and such a man
Is needed as long>as a big bawling baby
is in the league as franchise holder.
Ewing can do as he pleases re-
garding the Olson case, but the Los
Angeles fans want to serve notice
on him that he had better act quickly
and do something to suppress roWdy
baseball by firm and emphatic stand.
Rowdy baseball will not be tolerated in
Los Angeles. and the future of the sport
demands that every intimation of row.
dyism be suppressed in such a decided
manner as to force players to observe
some of the lgentlemanly qualifications
that the fans demand before they will
patronize the sport. A man with any
pride never would have written the let
ter that Ewing sent to Berry explaining
why he had not taken action upon the
charges against Olsen. Ninety-nine in
a hundred would have acted or re-
signed before confessing their fright.
Nothing will kill baseball quicker
than rowdyism. When the game de-
generates to that extent that players
are to be manned because they stand
in the way OF the success Of a rival
team, the game will have degenerated
from sport into farce, and the pub
lie will withdraw it's support. When a
president of a baseball league will per-
NIT another magnate to intimidate him
into overlooking rank violations of the
baseball code. he Is unfit to hold the
job and should resign or be removed.
Clean baseball is drawing card, but
ha cohoI1 q "a a nd will hA q