Omaha daily bee., 1910-02-20

league was so often commended 20
Va the disparagement Of the National.
The reason Is that the American
league conducts its affairs in a business
like manner, free from petty jealousies and
puertle chickering's, while the National league
does not. II our friend challenges our right
10 this view, perhaps he would concede the
privilege to Barney Dreyfuss. owner Of the
National league world champions. MIR.
Dreyfuss, who certainly cannot be criticized
Tor a pro-American league prejudice, says
Inc National league magnates are acting
IKE q lot OF Jealous chorus girls" With
out any desire to cast aspersions upon
chorus girls, we submit that to our friend
as an impartial judgment. The fact is, as
every unbiased man who knows anything
about the situation is free to admit, that
the National league is disrupted just now
by two or three men-whose personal greed
blinds them to the larger interests of the
league or base ball in general, to say moth
ing of the interests OF their fellow mag
mates. And these men have not stopped at
the most truculent methods to promote
their avarice. Knocking, pickering and
backbiting goes on in season and out, at
meetings and away from them. Men of
large monied interests carry on like a lot
or school boys over a game OF marbles.
True, the American league is the product of
piracy, and our critic tells us things about
the personnel of some OF the magnates
which we could not print. We might admit
Tor the sake of argument that all he saws
Is true-which we don't believe-still that
would not alter the fact that the men who
are running the American league are doing
IL on a strict business basis, to the edifica-
tion OF the game and the admiration Of the
public. So long as they get such results
what do the patrons of the game care
whether they are as black as the ace OF
spades, or undefiled angels2 Ban johnson
ana Comiskey had a row once, but they
confined 1t to personal relations and didn't
let 1t interfere with the progress of the
league. and then one day they got together
like two big, bralny men and forgot that
they had any differences. All this trouble
over National league presidents, trouble
that sent one good mar to his grave and
unseated another who should have been
kept in office, is due to the fact that GER
tain team owners are too small to sink
their own personal interests in the welfare
of the league. Pulliam was bounded till
he took his life, Heydler was ousted be-
cause he refused too dance while an I'M
scrupulous mar or two fiddled, and Lynch.
unless a reform is effected, will 20 the
same route, for no man, not even with
kynch's strength of character. will ever be
ERbIe to satisfy the demands Of that league
so long as half the magnates are deter
mined to rule or ruin. It may be as has
been said that Murphy's elimination would
solve the whole problem, but how are you
going to eliminate him?
1t is a bad thing for a man to become
known as a chronic kicker. Don Despair,
the young man who burst into the base ball
business at Lincoln toward the close of last
season. has assumed this role in the West
ern league II he pursues it It will bring
up to his ruin, but will not have much eff
feet on the league. Pursuant to his es-
pousal, Despair kicked on the league
schedule meeting being held in Chicago.
He insisted on its going to st. Joseph. In
this he simply made himself ridiculous, for
his ignorance Of what is best for his club
and his league. At the very time when
ihe western league magnates were meeting
~ chicago the magnates of the big leagues
ana the American association were there
In business up to their necks. There was
the opportunity for Despair and his col
leagues to get in on the ground floor OF
some good deals for players. and it az
forded him the splendid privilege Of rub.
bling elbows with the men who are really
running this business OF base BALL; to heal
them talk, to get their views, to become
acquainted with them. Any man Just en-.
tering a business he knows nothing about
could scarcely ask for better advantages
Lay these over against the benefits OF
meeting In St Joseph. What have you,
Absolutely nothing tangible. The only rea.
son in the world for ever thinking Of st
Joseph as a meeting place was purely sen.
umental, 1t was simply an impulse OF
Rnnn.faI1nUvghHn - ri-. GO Tz.--A - -.
hand and cheer it on for the fine showins
1t has made in its Remittance into tn,
Western league. 1t was a good sentiment
a magnificent sentiment, but one that no
even st. Joseph could seriously urge as &
reason against such reasons as existed fol
holding the meeting in Chicago. IL MI
Despair, in this morning OF his base bal
experience, asplres to be a brusher all hi
life he has taken exactly the right tack
But II he expects to become a base bal
man he will have to broaden his view
and start out on a new line Of action. Big
ger men than this one have discovered tn,
folly of setting themselves up as the mon
itor Of the Western league. A certain sea
soned veteran who preceded Denny a
owner Of the Lincoln team, not so man,
Sears ago. has found, even in the evenlpi
of his varied career, that it won't go.
Whatever the players may say Of II
Western league fans will welcome the los
game schedule adopted by the magnates
IL will give them twelve more games 4
the season, lengthening the playing perlo
about a week at each end. Now that tn
schedule Is disposed Of, we may sit bac
and walt for the sound OF the gong. /
the meantime the team owners will hav
nothing TO do but complete their roster
and get ready for the try-out day to com,
We observe from the schedule that Oman
gets one game at home on the Fourth @
July, playing in the morning at Lincol
and In the afternoon at home. which wi
put q rather good sized days work I'D I
the men OF the two teams. We also 70
Labor day at home and Decoration da
at Des Moines. which is all right. sine
the eccentriciues OF our Nebraska statute
outlaw base ball on that day. Oman
once more opens the season on foreign 70,
ritory, this time at Wichita. So far as ar
pesrs, this city has Eothlng 10 comma,
of in the schedule, and, for that matte
no other city has, since the schedule
seams has been made out with -