Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-04-14
The Opening Of the Baseball Season.

|
succeeded another. and uniform re-
lorts of exceptionally good progress
have come from all the Southern
training camps where the various big
| league teams have been getting into
condition for the seasons campaign
There have been exceptionally few ac-
cidents, and comparatively little sick
ness. If we may credit the asser-
| tions Of the various managers. all OF
the teams in both of the major or
CARNATIONS will start the season III
the pink of condition and it Will be
battle royal from start to finish.
| 1t is hard to explain the popularity
of the national game with the sport
loving public. Other sports have
come and gone: but this one. like Ten
| nyson's brook goes on forever. The
number Of enthusiasts grows larger
| from season to season. One reason
for this is undoubtedly in the inher-
cnt ability of the game itself to bring
out those qualities of athletic proWeSs
appeal with special force to IL sport
loving public. Another is the gen
cral popular belief that the game is
honestly played Much credit for
this is due to the men who have had
the direction Of it, and who from the
very first have resolutely set their
faces against anything that would
tend to belittlc this sport in the pub
lie estimation Gambling has been
suppressed with a vigorous hand. The
game has been kept clean The sue
cess of any ball player has depended
wholly and absolutely upon his ability
to make good, The game has been
no respecter of persons. The rule
has been to exact playing results. and
to dispense with the services of those
players who could not. or would not.
come up to the mark, AS result the
game has been sngularly free from
scandal. The dishonest ball player is
50 rare as to be something OF an
anomaly.
Baseball has developed d language
of its own, somewhat puzzling to the
uninitiated but perfectly Ineligible to
the enthusiastic lovers of the game.
who are generally known as fans
The love of the game is like disease.
Few men ever recover from it, Once
fan, always a fan. Young and old
meet here on common ground. in the
enjoyment of wholesome pleasure,
and are not ashamed to proclaim their
enthusiasm. 1t is a singular fact
that the average fan is "a partisan.
True he enjoys the sport as a sport
but he enjoys it better when he is
roofing for" OF cheering on his fav-
orite team.
One of the most notable things in
connection with baseball has been its
tremendous development in recent
years as a business proposition This
has been manifest in the enormous
sums that have been invested in the
construction Of immense two and three
story grand stands of brick, steel and
cement with superb playing lawns
stretched in front of them Such per-
nanent playing parks have already
been constructed at PittSburg. Clcvc-
hhd and Philadelphia, a fourth is in
process of construction at Chicago.
aud the magnates in several other cit
les are said To be coutc,uplatiur the
construction of similar parks
Popular favor in baseball is not al
ways easy to account for Notvith-
standing the fact that the National
league has been the most consistent
winner in the pos, season series, there
can be no question but what the
American league has had the call with
Il ajority of the fans. This fact is.
undoubtedly. due to the popular belief
mat lis affairs arc conducted in a big
ger and broader way. The winter
wrangling of the magnates of the Ma
tional league. and their failure to back
up and sustain good men who have
had the courage and manhood to stand
for the best interests of the game has
led the public tn believe. rightly or
wrongly. that a number OF them are
men of rather small calibre and no
great credit to the game. The smooth
and harmonious manner in which the
affairs of the American league have
been conducted. have gone very far to
win it popular favor Its president.
Ban B. johnson. is said to receive a
salary of $4,000 year. but he is
worth it He enjoys the confidence
and respect of the sport loving public
to an extent that has never been sur
passed by any other man in the his
tory of the great national game. He
is square, and honest. and fearless,
and has always stood for clean sport