Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-10-02
SHOE DID PINCH
But Peoria, Decatur and
Springfield Do Not Put the
Blame in Right Place.
NOT OF sExToN's DOING
Truth Is All Three of Them Have
Been Getting Over Cont Com
tracted in Year 1908.

Somewhat strange, this report ema
mating from Peoria that credits Presi-
dent Johnson OF the baseball associa-
ton there with stating that President
Sexton is 10 blame for the i'll success
of baseball in that city this season.
The chances are that President John
son never made such statements. II
he did and does not know better it is
no wonder baseball was fiZZle under
his leadership.
IL has been demonstrated repeatedly
that Peoria will not support a team UNI
less it is winning. and PeOrias team
this year did not win the majority of
its games. Therefore. we find the city
that ought 10 have led the league
standing about fifth i'm attendance.
The fact is that Peoria. even with
its large attendance figures in other
years has paid its teams such high
salaries that il has never made money.
and. had il continued in the circuit
this season and been allowed TO go
on as of old. the balance of the cities
would have been busted" trying to
keep the pace. even if Peoria survived
Favored Present Program.
Peoria baseball magnates last win
ter saw the necessity for retrenchment
and the program adopted met with
their approval. They realized that the
league was on the verge of disruption
last spring more because The owners
were discouraged over financial losses
due to high salaries than for any other
reason. They saw that il would be
necessary to adopt a system by which
the game could at least be made to
pay its own way if tn. Three-Eye
league were TO be perpetuated Posi-
bly, they did not realize at the time
just what il meant to retrench. Per
haps they did not stop then to refiect
that it would be necessary to dispose
of practically all the old expensive
team Peoria had in order to start
they were in favor of the changes. and
they got them. Had not such changes
been made il is very likely that there
would have been no Three-Eye league
this season, certainly not for many
more seasons.
Something of Mystery.
Just how President Sexton is to be
blamed because Peoria was unable to
keep its old men. while Rock Island
and Bloomington. due to having been
less eXtravaeant in 1908. managed TO |
5queez; within the limits with few |
changes i'm the lineup. is hard to fig |
IRE out
Peoria. Decatur and Springfield all |
the reaction this year that |
Of race they made for the flag last
year. Neither stopped at high sal
aries in the attempt to land the flag.
and in so doing all put a mortgage
upon their future that they this sea
son have been called upon to pay
No town in baseball can expect to be
a first division contender all the time.
All must take the fat along with the
can. If the baseball public in any
,ity is too delicately constituted to
put up with the common portion. il
should go back TO croquet and ping
BONG.
Old Gag of blaming Umpire.
1t is a common thing through the
season for losing teams to blame the |
umpire. 1t puts the responsibility on |
someone else's shoulders. Everybody |
Expects them TO do it. BY the same |
oxen officers of the local associations. |
When the fortunes of war do not deal |
indy with them. often go a step
igher and blame the league officers.
t is a simple and easy way to dodge