The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1909-11-28
MENACE TO BASEBALL 1a
IN NEW SUGGESTION
Advent Of Theatrical Syndicate IAo Big Leagues Con
sidered Source Of Danger Sport Depends
Upon Earnestness of Owners.
By THOMAS S. RICE.

Baseball is confronted with the most
serious crisis IL has faced since the
brotherhood. and no man can foresee
the end
The kernel or the nut of the present
agitation over the purchase of the Phil
adelphia National League club by syn
6j5ate interests in that league, is the
side remark that a number Of profess
siOnal theatrical men are involved in
the deal and propose to operate base
bail plants in connection with a circuit
Of open-air hippodrOmes. The hippo
drome talk is merely incidental at pres
ent, but behind # lies the menace TO the
national game.
Professional baseballs marvellous sue
cess as Il sport and a business institu-
ton of enormous magnitude has been
due to the TACT that it has always been
sport. No matter how much the
magnates might fight among themselves
no matter how contemplate or under
handed some Of their actions may have
been. the games themselves have al
ways been contests. The politics Of the
past'nle have only sporadicaIly and in
isolated cases iuterfered with the WORK
ct the men on the field, or Influenced the
destiniss Of che clubs in pennant races.
Jealousy Insures Honesty.
In very truth, a large proporIi,a Of
the wire-pUllipg ana all around trick
cry which has marked the condsct of
many magnates ia the past. has been
due almost entirely to a desire TO get
a winning team by hook or crook. ONLY
once OF twice has there been talk Of
balancing Up q league to improve the
gate receipts through strengthcnin.. the
weaker clubs. and that has almost in
Narl3bly fallen lat because of the isaI-
olsy OF the men with material to snare
mus so far, the public mas been only
nGlrectly concerned in baseball politics
and fans knew that when they went 10
the parks they would see a real contest
based on the comparative merits of the
teams according 10 the ability and
money Of the owners. :. he Washing
ton or Philadelphia, or Cleveland. or
Cincinnati owners, for instance, were
outjocleyed or were bunkoed. In The in
ternal affairs Of their leagues, it was
done by some other fellow anxious 10
get himself a winner. and the fruits Of
his methods were apparent on the dia-
mond
No Chance To Fix Races.
This has been true despite the exist
ence Of syndicate" baseball in both the
American and National Leagues for
many years, Barney Drsyfuss has been
an owner in the Philadelphia and Boston
clubs. but has been the kingpin in the
Pittsburg club, and when it came TO
getting a winner In Pittshurg he smote
right and left, regaT Iless Of the fate Of
the other two, which, in the same spirit,
stung him with great force and en-
thuSiasm Rhen the OlDorttInitv r1rezert-
ed itself There has been far less bick-
erlng among the american League mag
mates, syndicate" anu Independent but
since the league has gotten firmly on
It's feet there has never been d suspicion
that every magnate was not out for all
ne could get in the way OF playing
strength
The teams have been almost prefer
naturally well balanced and almost
every campaign has been of the hair
raising order. but any insinuation that
the races were fixed" directly or in
directly has been entirely unfounded.
The greatest tribute 10 the honesty OF
purpose in its playing that baseball will
receive II it continues 1000 years, is the
fact that Detroit has Won the American
League Dennant three times hand run
ming, while ST. Louis Ynd New York
have been in the ruck anG at present
show few signs Of getting out
The Future Menace.
But with the advent Of strictly thea
trical interests into baseball public con-
fidence in the building up of the teams
and the Openness Of the pennant strug-
giles must inevitably be shaken. If an
individual theatrical man. with the
baseball mania and the money to buy a
franchise to crafty his desires to own
club and try to make himself famous
and satisfied by producing "A winner,