Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-08-22

rag 1T the wind up. The tea M may be
putting up an excellent article OF bali.
sort of game that's worth the pFlc.,
OF admission every time the ball yard
thrown open IL the public: but it's ne:
quite up to the rag snatcliing class
game, aud that let's it out SO Ear a.
the major part of the public is con
cerned. Folks that arc all for the pen
nant thing look upon it as f1v Eiac
because it isn't In the bunting gr,p-
bling race. and the game suffers So
verelv Oh this account III my opinion
Take the present situation III both
leagues. There are three clubs In each
league that are away up there. and flfc
clubs in each league that are sort OF
friyoling around doing the best theI
can-and it's pretty good best 1T
that. day in and day out Well. the
three clubs that arc S1irling around IN
the fight for the rag are the whole
thing. and tho other five clubs of each
league, composed in many cases OF ball
players who. as individuals, are just as
good rs the fellows in the three lead
ing clubs. gain merely mild sort OF
an interest from tho general crowd,
even if the dyed-in the-Wool fanatics
a smaller class than is generally sup
posed-do hang around until the very
finish.
"Of course it would be simply impos-
Sible to so balance all of the clubs OF
the major leagues SO that SdtI cruz.
this season of the year, well say. would
have a chance in the final sprint Tor
the rag I'm not arguing that any such
thing as that would be possible. But
the prize offered for the team that nm
ishes first detracts very greatly from
the interest which would otherwise DC
felt in the playing of each and all ot
the teams that haven't a chance TO land
a the top of the heap.
Along about this season of the year.
each year of recent seasons. the rag
loving fans have been able to make up
their minds that the pennants of the
two major leagues are going to fall TO
one of two or three clubs, respectively.
of the leagues: and as soon as they set
this dope i'll their heads they immedl-
ately lose all interest i'll the other
teams This not only hits the non-con-
tending teams a severe financial wal
lop, but IL diScourages the players of
the trailing teams and causes them to
play listless ball particularly when
they're lined up against each other
1.-The trailing teams, o. course, always
smoke up and dish out the best they've
got when they stack up against the
teams that are fighting for the pennant,
IL only to show the rag-iov.nE fans. by
winning if it's. possible. that the teams
that are oft in front are not the whole
cheese, and that they can be beat by
traiers.
But when they're playing against
edCE OlI1Gf, the ledIIS, HUN idCh
of encouragement on the part OF the
fans who are all for the teams that are
booming along in the pennant race, are
Inclined 10 sort of doze on the job. with
the result that the games at this season
don't class with the games played earlier
in the year, when every team still had
chance for the bunting.
THE ideal proposition. OF course. would
be this The strengthening Of each club
from the overplus of the swell clubs as
- 10 cf,-av, 4,
ened This. of course. is only dream.
but that's the case with all ideal propo-
sitions.
For example. if the base ball bust
ness wasn't SO much of a money-meaniDg
thing as 1t Island of course 1t II always
be that-why, the club that hoped off
at the opening of the season and took
long lead on the other clubs would be
required (under the terms of this ideal
scheme that ! have In mind). to hand
over one or two of its players to the
team needing strengthening most The
teams fighting it out for second position
would be required to transfer-alWayS,
OF course, for consideration In the way
of money or some other form of trading
one or more of it's players to less for
tunate teams: and SO on down the line.
to the end that the teams acquire. say
by the middle of the season. a pretty
perfect sort of balance, thus enabling
them to sort OF stretch across the track
in a bunch for the dash down to the
tape. This would keep the public's In
tcrest in all of the clubs sustained and
make the RAGE vastly more interesting.
But. as I say. it's purely a hasheesh
fantasy that Pm pulling now. tor cap
you see any of the out-in-front teams
handing over anybody that they need.
for any consideration whatever. to clubs
that need snoring up?
But the pennant greed is injurious to
the game, all the same. and I'd be glad
to see the fans get down to more interest
III the game for the games sake than for
the sake of the pennant.'