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

rag 1T the wind-up. The tee III NAV be
putting up an excellent article OF bail,
y sort of game that's worth the pri.:.,
Of admission every time the ball yards
thrown open To the public: but its no.:
quite up to the rag Sna tching ci. -
Notwithstanding its good average
game, aud that lots it out so Gar -
the major part Of tho public is con
cerned. Folks hat arc all for the pep
nant thing look upon ii us . f1v Eiac
because it iSu't In the bunting gr;lp
bling race, and the game suffers Sc
v"relv on this account III my opinion.
: Take the present situation III h"tt;
leagues. There are three clubs In ca,.'i
league that are away up there. and live
clubs IN each league that are SORT o.
frtyoiing around. doing the best they
can-and it's Il pretty good best ut
That, day in and day out. Well. the
three clubs that arc swiriing around III
the fight for tho rag are the whole
thing. and the other five clubs of each
league, composed in many cases Of ball
players who. AS individuals. are just as
good ~ the fellows in the three lead
ing clubs. gain merely a mild sort of
an interest from tho general crowd,
even If tho dyed ill he-Wool fanatics
a smaller class than is generally sup
posed-do hang around until the very
finish
"Of course. it would he simply impos-
Sible to so balance all of the clubs OF
the ajor leagues SO that each club. 1t
this season of the year. we II say. would
have Il chance in the final sprint tor
the rag. I'm not arguing that any such
a thing as that would be possible But
tho prize offered for the team that I'm
isheS first detractS very greatly from
the interest which would otherwise pc
felt in the playing of each and all Of
the teams that haven't a chance TO land
at 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 TAU TO
one of TWO or three clubs, respectively.
of the leagues: and As soon as they get
this dope III their heads they immedl-
ately lose all interest III the other
teams. This not only hits the non-con-
tending teams It severe financial! wal
1op but it discourases the players OF
the trailing teams and causes them to
play listless ball. particularly when
they're lined up against each other.
THE trailing teams. .. 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-loN -ng 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
trailers
But when they're playing against
each other, the trailing teams. from lack
fans who are all for the teams that are
booming along in the pennant race, are
Inclined TO 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
the weaker teams need to be strength
F0ad This jC only n dream.
but that's the case with all ideal propo-
sitionS.
For example. if the base ball bust
ness wasn't SO much of money meaning
thing as 1t is-and of course it IL always
be that-why, the club that hoped OF
at the opening Of the season and took
a long lead on the other clubs would be
required tunder 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 il 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 its 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. pretty
perfect sort of balance. thus enabling
them to sort Of stretch across the track
in bunch for the dash down to the
tape. This would keep the publics In
terest in all of the clubs sustained and
make the race vastly more interesting.
But. as I say. it's purely a hasheesh
fantasy that I'm pulling now, for cap
you see any of the out-n-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
in the game for the games sake than for
the sake of the pennant.'