Omaha daily bee., 1909-10-03

les MONIES is once more the cham
pton OF the Western league. Il won
the 1909 pennant after a desperate
fight. a tight that lasted up 20 the
last inning Of the last game played
tween Omaha and Sioux City in Omaha.
IT was that game that determined
ich team, Des Nome or Sioux City,
Md bear the colors. Omaha beat Sioux
y for the pennant and landed I'm third
3.ce. Just as New York has beat Chicago
hr the National league flag and landed in
.hird place. 1t IL such close races, such
.riscs. such thrilling finishes. that make
base ball the most fascinating ard
captivating Of all cports. No i'm
partial. unbiased man can impute
to Des Nome the opprobium Of
an ill-gotten victory. Des Moines made a
good tight and won a clean contest. Its
title is clear. its flag is untarnished. its
triumph complete and absolute. Some
weeks ago Sioux city sport writers
trumped up the charge that Omaha. Tc-
peka and Des Moines had entered into a
conspiracy to beat Sioux City. II should
be enough to say that Ducky Holmes,
owner Of the Sioux City team, never
shared such a foolish view. nor did his
players; they knew better and knew that
these charges sprung only from excited
partisans who. in the heat and burden Of
the last days Of n close struggle, gave way
TO an impulse that often seizes the weak
when the actual crisis comes. For addi-
tionaI proof Of the folly Of such a claim
let any reader scan the results Of the
games since that charge was made. Grant
ing, for the sake Of argument. that it were
true. and granting for the same reason
that all the games since then Topeka and
oman lost to Des Moines were purposeIv
lost, even then Sioux City would have it.
self to blame, for II was trimmed by both
Des Moines and Omaha in the concluding
engagements with these two teams. And
Topeka did not lose all its games. Lin
coin, which was never included in This al
legged consI tracy, was the team that ended
the season with Des Moines and Lincoln
showed by every game that it was making
a faithful and honest effort to win. II
was 2 grand race and the finish at Vinton
street park was the most exciting that
has marked a Western league race since
1902. when Kansas CITY won the pennant
in a snow storm in Denver with Omaha
half a nose length behind il. 1t is Des
Moines' first pennaut since 1906. 1t won
the pennant that year and the year pre-
ceding, and had as two members of Its
team Babe Towne and Andreas, two Of the
present Sioux City team who went down
to defeat Tuesday. The outcome is a
splendid achievement for President, Hig.
gins of Des Moines, who has won a pen.
nant against the most tremendous odds
won the p%ennant at q fearful f~inancia
loss. for he paid high prices for playeEs
good salaries, and got no support from his
homo fans. VIII It be a rehukc to hes
Moines base bali people? Il should be
As for Omaha, the season can only be re
garded with disappointment. though loya
fans here Ure proud of the faithful figh
their team made. II kept all the other,
h~ustling and faced great disadvantages
throughout the season. President Rourk,
Is entitled TO the most cordial support and
sympathy of local fans, for he never ox
erted himself IN any season more than h,
did this year to get a winning team. II,
spent more hard cash for players and pait
better salaries than ever and yet fat
seemed to be against him. He found him
self in the same boat with many auothe
manager over the country. being unabl
to land the most effective pitching staff
Had he succeeded in this he would hav
won the pcnnant by comparatively an cas-.
effort.