New-York tribune., 1910-02-21
COMMENT ON SPORTS
REAL B4SEB1LL NOW.
Ne7rs and Vicscs on LiTc Topics
of the Ddy.

Ne,rs and Viesrs on Lite Topics
of the Day.
Sor that the owners OF the various clubs
N the National League have managed I"
arrange the playing schedule for the COM
ing season. the decks are cleared Tor &C
.,or. so thai the game Of baseball aiio mo-
.he politics OF baseball. can come INTO 'OS
own II * we'll. Even the dyed-in-ihe-
wool fans have grown tired OF what
20 so-caIfed -Inagnates' have 10 say ano
sr. anxious 10 see the players slam tne
hsu over the fence. Ii may he SaiH III
lssssine that the unnistskable show OF IN
,ernal strife in the. National League Is III
striking contrast with the apparent har-
r,,oay in the American League. Thomas J.
Lunch. the new president OF the older or
csnization. viii earn more fame as an eX-
ect5tiye than he cid an umpire II ne
,,s-l bring about a businesslike adninistrd-
lion. once he gets fully in touch with the
..orGi;ions that exist The magnitude OF
his task vas fully appreciated by those
who waited and waited in the corudors
oe The Waldorf AstoTia last week for some
ling 10 happen. one man said in olSunct-
Ir audible ranes: Does anybody envy Tom
Lynch his job. even al S9.es1 d year, NO
lo5x answered and apparently nobody DID
The baseball fans showed more than
usual interest in the Kindergarten hSht OF
he National League owners As RUE
the full sum Of their craving Is the cha1lce
10 see hard-fought game, buI the merry
,it,Ie warfare Of the last few days got on
their fuunybones with q vengeance some
are sure 20 laugh when others play the
rre 5ester oftentiInes goes too far and then
ire laughter turns to jeers.
charles A. Comiskey, owner OF the Chi
caro White Sox. says:
To discontinue the present style OF spikes
--on15 SLOW I'd the game. None of the sub
sri-,y-es that we have examined would nave
rbe effect Of the old spikes, | aoilllt 13 oIaS
they are dangerous. but l think II "ou!o
he better TO adopt safeguards such as sEll
guards. or something like that. lnsteao Q.
ioing away with the spikes IN my lI nlln9
-ssebs7I is Just fast enough and we should
take no chan,ses OF reducing that sPeen IN
any way
F-iuet Spikes are dangerous, but what
are = few crippled players more or less
compared to the delights Of dashins steal
20 third base7 Adopt safeguards such as
shin guards, or something like that SHIN
guards would not slow up the eame-or
legs Of a fly None of the substitutes
-vo,,ld have the effect Of the old spikes
II is not necessary 70 give them fair
rial. because the manufacturers might be
fo-ced 70 carry q big stock Of the old ones
sad suffer a loss. How true the old say
irs: "A man convinced against his viii IS
Of the same opinion still Some men can
argue around a circle and rest content
Some day the present murderous spike VIII
be found where it belongs-in the ash heap
R--ron Bancroft johnson, known 10 the
fans as Ban b has earned the con
fdence and good VIII OF the owners of the
various clubs IN the American League, even
Il he has lost caste TO some extent among
many good sportsTT2en by the dictatorlat
and altogether uncaIled-for position he took
last December. when the National League
al cider organization. was al work trying
10 elect a president. Mr.. Johnson deserves
great credit for the masterful way in
which he rganized and built ND during the
last ten years the second Of the two major
league circuits but in spite Of this II Is
almost surprising that his associates should
20 so far as TO re-elect him president OF
tho league for term OF twenty years At
salary said TO bs $500 a year. It was
: signal tribute 20 his management, as it
has been 10 easy task 10 earn recognition
in the fac Of the one-tirne strong opposi-
lion of tho National League, and 10 main
tain harmony among set OF men who
are bound TO have conflicting ideas as to
their rights. Mr.. Johnson has always been
: strong advocate of clean baseball and
has worked diligently 10 that end, and un-
der the circumstances II seems d pity that
he should have committed diplomatic
error in mcddling with the affairs of a
rINal, If more OF less friendly, organization.
Charles WEBB Murphy said at the close
~ the annual meeting IN December, after
ne battle for a president of the National
League. Too much harmony is not good
FOR basebsIl IL At that time this riddle was
interpreted 10 mean. Too much harmony
operates against publicity. The fans"
cannot be blamed for wondering If Club
mo Charlie is satisfied. He and his as
soCiates have PLAYED their part well, but
II might be well recall that some kinds
of publicity DO more harm than good. The
National League has lost some of its dig
nifty.