Omaha daily bee., 1909-11-14
'T&l OMAHA SUNDAY BER


thing In social amenities from two
distinguished men whose vocationa
per Ne does not give them the same rank
in the social scale as that accorded to the
%disputants in the North pole discovery.
These two men are Honus Wagner, short
stop for Pittsburg, and Ty Cobb. right
fielder for Detroit. When the time came
for worlds championship battle between
the Tigers and Pirates. admirers Of the
two stars began making comparisons and
Specializing on how one would show up
the other. The controversies might easily
have provoked iealousies between Wagner
and Cobb. but what did they do2 Neither
man had ever seen the other play. After
the series Cobb said OF Wagner: Il have
not seen all the great ball players, Of
course, but Wagner is the greatest I have
seen. 1 only hope that some day l may
be as great" OF Cobb Wagner said: Il
did not know a man could be as fast as
he 10. He is a perfect ball player. l cannot
think OF a thing that a perfect player re-
quires that Cobb does not possess" Here
those two eminent men Of learning, Peary
and Cook. unfortunately pitted against
each other in a great contest presented a
spectacle before the world that has dis
Rusted most serious-minded men and made
mention of the North pole a joke. The
fact is Cobb and Wagner. mere profess
slonal ball players, are big, broad men,
and, only two OF hosts of others. engaged
IN this business whose element of levity
Alesds 50 many people to misunderstand its
sreai character. Base ball today is adapted
as a vocation by coliege-bred young men
and the personal side Of the business, both
with relation to the player and owner,
probably will compare favorably with that
Of any other calling. 1t Is an admitted
&Sat that the man who can achieve distinct
success on the ball field. where oompetl-
tion is SO severe and strenuous, IL fitted
to compete for success in most any other
sphere of life. Base ball calls into action
re elements that make for large success.
The star player is the one who possesses
self-mastery, above all other things, who
has skill in. thought as well as action, who
thinks quickly and acts speedily, who Is
resourceful and strategic in crises and like
Hannibal of old, able to do what the other
fellow is not expecting; daring, yet not
venturesome; bold, yet not defiant; ag-
gressive, not british; tenacious, not stub
born; alert. agile and vigilant. Men like
Wagner and Cobb, who can look past their
own greatness and see that Of a fellow
player. are not rarities on the diamond
. AnNIE To- hhhUNANHAf. 1A9N - - ~
portion Of intellectual men in that as in
the average business today, and it\ is
because Of this fact that base ball has
secured a permanent place in the world
Of American craftsmanship and business.
The cheap railery Of the narrow prude.
or the studied invective OF the ignorant
non-attendant, has nothing in it the game
needs fear or in fact heeds. II has run
The gauntlet OF prejudice. bigotry, ignor-
ance and defied the gambler and today
stands erect and strong on a footing OF
fame and success unknown and unthought
OF in the history Of athletics and sports,
And the Wagnefs and the Cobbs are its
exponeuts &c wen as It's eosffieients,
The single draft price urged by President
Carson Of the Central league does not
seem 70 be based upon sound logic. He
advocated It's adoption by the National
Association Of Minor leagues on the
ground that IL a player was fit to be
drafted by q major league. he was worth
a certain price, whether he came from a
class c. b or A league, and therefore he
argued against the sliding scale Of draft
prices as unjust. The laws Of base ball
place a higher value. even for drafting
purposes, on a player from Class A than
from Glass b. @ or ID, for the good and
sufficient reason that his training In the
faster company makes a better ball player
OF him., and that would seen to settle the
matter. It stands to reason that a young
ster coming from one Of the lower leagues
will require more training than a player
from a Glass A team, all things beinG
equal so why shouldn't the Class A
MAYER bring more money? Again, the
Mgher the classification the higher the
salary schedule. which ought to increase
the equity value Of a player. All expenses
salaries and others, are greater. the higher
the classification runs, so that TO allow
Glass A club owner no more money fol
~ man than a Glass c or d or B owner
would kavor a little bit OF unbusinesslik'
business.
aim Hart knows base bali and might b
a good man for president Of the Nationa
league. but the fact that Murphy is ex
ercising such tremendous energy for hi
election cannot help but arouse suspicious
kiarphy's opposition 10 President Heydle
lakes the form OF personal animosity AM
for that reason alone should be. and ap
parenuy Is, discounted by a majority OF tn,
other magnates. Now that Brush has re
jceted Chubby Charley's overtures to joiI
him IN decapitatins Heydler, the possibil
tiles OF Murphy's success in punishini
Ueydler do not look good. The sooner tn
National ieague gets to the point wherr
personal animosity cannot control the cleo
tion OF a president the better II viii b
for II and the game. The magnates hav
am opportunity with reference TO Mr.
Murphy this winter. VIII they embrace Il
In passing it might be mentioned that
jeff and Johnson do fail to pull OFF thi
fight. a. many. possibly most, people be
lleve now. Il will put prize fighting 1
about the same category with wrestling
wrestling is a great game-none greater
hut II has been diseredited and disgrace
SO long by takers that Il no longer set
a serious hearing from the sporting fra
ternity Of America, Big dubs have bee
brought over from Europe by the ship Ioa
and peddled over this country as wonder
so long and American wrcstiers have con
nived 50 readily that many people toda
&isstlon n any yrestle Is really on IN
Nquars. OF course, mani OF them are. bu
SO many are not that Il has knocked IN
sport until Il will require years 20 r,
deem a.
The return TO the fold OF organized has
bali OF the CalifoFnla State league is