Omaha daily bee., 1910-06-19

the whole plans and preparations
for the Jeffries~Johnson fight is
the foolish effort Of the promoters
TO pretend that 1t Is not 70 be a
prize fight, but o boxing match. OF
course, they do not mean this seriously,
nor for any purpose except that Of seeking
10 satisfy the demands OF the law and
authorities. II looked for a while that
they had made their coarse work stick
with the governor of California, or that
he had agreed 20 shut his eyes and let the
thing go. But better influences have pre-
vailed. Undoubtedly the governor changed
his view because he was made 20 under
stand that IL the fight was held In San
Francisco that city need not expect con-
gressional favor for the Panama-Pacific
exposition. Prize fighting is on its last
legs in this country and since 1t has come
down TO the common level Of capitalized
sport It is we'll that the laws are closing
In upon Il. 1t is a radical form Of brutality
with death-deallng propensities and has
nothing TO defend It when put to rout. The
country does not need II and sportsman
ship will be better off without it.. I'm
doubtedly the wholesale avarice char
acterizlng every move OF the men re-
sponsible for the coming affair has done
much TO hasten the end OF the game and
To InAI extent may DC EeBdIdGu ao q bOoN
agency The fight may yet be held some
where IN Nevada, for Nevada is not yet In
a position, legally, to stop 1t, though the
tide of public sentiment is rising there
against 1t as elsewhere.
For five years old George Van Haltren
has acted as the negative scout" on the
Pacific coast for Pittsburg. He has never
xx,ov Tor he
mended one; all he has to do is to point
out the danger signals, tell Dreyfuss what
men to let alone. not buy. People little
realize the detail that goes into the man
agemeut OF a great base ball team.
Twelve months in the year scouts are
securing the country for available material
and trainers are whipping this material
into shape or finding 1t unavailable and
other scouts are looking out for the lemons.
Many minor leaguers look so tempting
that the ordinary scout, just coming into
tho league, may seize him as find, but
with a man on the ground like Van Hal
tren, who knows the private habits as
well as the public performances OF the
player the major league team may be
saved lots of trouble and some expense.
Not every man who plays fine ball il de-
sirable. He may have bad habits, or
pau dlSVOSiLaOH OF SCunelHlnB else 10 more
than offset his good playing. Then he is
the fellow to pass up.
Much is being said of the system Of pen
sioning ball players who have served their
day, 1t seems to us that before anything
III this kind could approach being practical
NeTy stringent rules would have to be
adopted as to the eligibility OF the player.
ENu1a ma a nj thaunaAlvaa IND rala
out their game, while others waste their
substance and end their careers prema-
lerely. These latter are entitled to little
or mo- considerations. The mere fact that
they have been ball players should count
for nothing. If they have been hard work
ing ball players, sober and regular, then
they are entitled to pensions.
Whatever we may think or the cause of
the Pirates slump we must be impressed
with the thought that it is permanent,
Nothing but most radical change in form
In them or the teams leading them can
bring the pennant back to Pittsburg The
team does not look to US like repeater,
anyway. For that matter it won last year
only because of extremely bad luck to the
Cubs. not to disparage the victory of the
Pirates at all. Wagner undoubtedly has
passed his zenith and the new men are
not rising high enough to make up for his
loss.
-
Jack Holland is making many moves to
build up his st. Joe team, Tho team
slumped from its original dash. which it
could not, from the makeup be expected
to maintain long. Holland has landed Tex
Jones for first. Fox for second base. which
ought to add great strength, and Reilly
from the Chicago White Sox. for short
step. and is dickering with the St Louis
Browns for a pitcher. Jack is entitled to
win and probably VIII get his desserts, for
he knows how and is a slayer.
---
That American league race Is a beauty
New York and Philadelphia are still going
good, but the Tigers have been hitting an
awful clip OF late, clip that wins PEN
nants But. though Detroit may make 1t
| four straights, 1t cannot hope to capture
\ the Gag this year as easy as 1t has in any
OF the last three. The Highlanders and
Athletics are organized now and are going
IN for team work
Chance has demonstrated several times
this last week that he Is real leader. In
New York with the score against the Cubs
in the ninth inning and two outs and the
bases full, he sends ball to right field,
which gets past Murray and goes for four
runs. A leader who can show the rest OF
the team how it is done at critical times is
great leader.
One of tho biggest jokes which our fake
: wrestlers have played In long while was
the zbyszko-Roller match. so-called. at
Seattle. The Pole let the Doctor kake up
&ee hour and fifty~two minutes OF his time
IN he first fail, when he probably could
have thrown him in two minutes It's a
gay lfe
The ways Of the 81, Louis Browns man
agement are past finding out. Stone just
gets down to his normal hitting gait when
he is jerked out to let Fisher play In left,
and Fisher for the first three games, failed
TO touch the bali. and In the next got three
hlts-a SINGLE double and triple.
The heart as wen as the head must
nguref i'm ball game. This is shown In
the example OF the st. Louis Browns. They
have met defeat so often this season that
they have come TO take 1t as a matter OF
course ana show little interest in the game.