El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-04-02

tBy JOnn u F0ster.D
making garden and baseball and the
greatest of these is baseball.
Don't try TO evade the direct accusa-
ton and by subterfuge attempt to make
people believe that you are not interest
ed in the national game, but manfully
admit that the very first time the south
ern breeze blew into your nostrils the
odor of spring you began to think OF
the chances of the home team in the
summer to come.
am going TO pitch headforemost into
the subject at once by stating that
this will probably be the greatest and
best year that baseball ever has seen.
1t would be folly to keep away from
such candid statement of the 1910
platform, for sooner or later this would
be bound to come to The surface.
There are reasons, many and potent,
why this is likely to be the case In
creasing Interest in the game, increases
of population and increase in the num-
three of them, and they are all good
More could be cited. What's the use?
The outcome of the year, barring finan-
ciai panic, war or epidemic, will bear
out the prediction, and the writer is
willing to submit ii and take his
chances.
Up to the Millions.
Thirty years ago we counted baseball
spectators by the hundred Only a little
while before they could be counted by
the score. About 10 years ago we began
to count spectators by the thousand. It
has gone to the million mark now. All
records are completely upset. and are
likely not only TO remain so, but to
be worse upset.
Millions can be accommodated now.
where there was only room for hun
dreds 80 years ago. That big crowd
Of 1000 spectators, which almost star
tied you out of your boots one Fourth
of July morning just before the nine
ties" would be swallowed up in one.
corner of the stadium which John T
Brush has built in New York city for
the comfort of baseball patrons and
that stadium, as big as it is and as
comfortable as it is, ranks by no means
as permanent Improvement, like the
stands in Pittsburg. Chicago and Cleve-
land. simply because Mr.. Brush cannot
obtain ownership of the real estate on
which 1t is located
Only next year Washington will join
the list of those permanently i'm
proved" and the cities in the high
grade minor leagues are building stands
that the major leagues couldn't equal
two years ago
So much for the probabilities. so far
as one side of the game is concerned
Now, for a jump into the playing end
of the American league 1t is only nat.
ural at the beginning Of the season 20
look the ball clubs over and see what
they have in the way Of players TO
offer for the campaign about to begin
Looking the Champions Over.
First of all. z brief bllmpse atarhc
Detroit club They wen the Champion
ship last year for the third successive
time A club which can do that is
worthy of praise 1t IS no small matter
for any manager. or for any group of
players, TO go through three successive 4
seasons and retain the leadership of
the organization TO which il belongs.
Detroit can be considered on the same
basis as it finished the season in 1909
AS it is likely TO be changed least of
any club in the American Ieaeue cir
cult. it is difficult to arrive al any
other conclusion
These points must be reckoned with
in Detroit's favor. First, competent
yivacious. magnetic manager Hugh
Jennings's record at the head Of a base
ball organization speaks for itself.
When a manager has been able to guide
q team through three successive sea-
sons. and finish first in all Of them,
he is a force.