Omaha daily bee., 1910-03-06

Dali teams 10 ther reApecuNe
training quarters. such trains az the
one that bore Comlskey and his White sox
through Omaha to the Pacific cosst-whst
are they7 One thing, they are milestones
that mark off the amazing progress this
game Is making. They are annual re-
mirders OF the fact. that base bail. instead
OF being a mere pleasure-giving game. is
one OF the stable Institutions in our ma
tional life. Into the business Of base bail
have gone immense fortunes, out Of II
have come riches in amazing prodigality.
It's Golfers, its revenues. its earning powers
are simply colossal. And so when team
owners and managers start out for the
s~eaBon's work they contract for q special
train, 1T II up with all the modern COM
forts and some Injuries, fifl II with robust
young men and strike across a continent
with as much abandon, as to the costs as
our grandfatherB would have hftched up
the old gray mare TO the family surrey
fifty years ago to drive down TO Neighbor
Browns to spend the day. Why, the con-
querors and gladiators OF old, pptentates
rulers Of great prtncipslIties, pampered
princesses and indolent queens seeking
places OF grand h-igh-lonesomes never trav-
eled In such pomp and splendor as these
sturdy warriors OF bat.and ball. Alexander
the Great, who Erieved half his life away
va In his little world so soon ran out Of
kid kdOms to conquer. pulled off a tri-
umphal march that made his Macedonian
admirers wonder at his majesty, but Alex
ander's little ship Of state placed along
Z side one these base ball palaces would
Sleok like a string OF derailed box cars.
h voluptuous Cleopatra, whose subtle
and seductive charms broke up half the
royal households Of her time, has been
known to float down the lazy Nile In some
right gorgeous gondolas, but this paragon
of Egyptian beauty would be drifting
about on the flotsam and Jetsam Of a
stormy sea in this day IL her means Of
transportation were to be brought down
through the centuries and compared with
those Of the modern ball player. AS a mat
ter Of serious fact, this palatial training
camp train Is not all a vulgar show of
money. Ball players-every mRn-represent
a tangible asset. 30 much money invested.
They require the best Of care, especially
IN this preseason period OF uncertain
weather and their employers have learned
by experience that palatial trains are but
one means Of conserving their Investments.
Then, too, this long training season has
ito relation to the whole scheme OF economy
IN American life. This is an age OF prepare
ton, t-horoughness. The college education
inculeates the principle; business fosters It
a the times demand It. Good results In
base ball, as in other spheres OF life, de-
pend on a solid foundation.
The revised rules OF base ball seem to
contemplate with real determination the
abolition Of the habit pitchers have Of rub
bling the ball in the ground. The old rules
ran against this offenAe, but the new one
makes IT a penalty worth s., ana for the
sake Of the fans It Is to be hoped the new
rule will be enforced. Pitchers, Of course,
dislike to use a new bah, ana when one Is
tossed to them they like to rub It In the
grass or ground to discolor and soil II 80
they may get a better grip on It and also
to put that little cloud on It and thus handi-
cap the batter. But very often when pitch
ers are going up hill. when, perhaps, the
bases are full and their wind Is spent,
they resort to this trick merely for subter-
fuge. to kiln time and recover their wind.
This 10 all right for the pitcher and his
side, but Il Is very annoying to the fan who
may not have all day TO sit and watch a
game unnecessarily prolonged. IN this dI-
~rection, then. the revision Of the rule Inn
posing the fine ought to strike q popular
Z chord. So ought anything that will tend to
facilitate the game. Comiskey recently de-
claimed against eliminating the steel spike
because. he said, 1t would reduce the speed
OF tho game, adding that base ball Is Just
fast enough today and we must do nothing
that will cut off any speed" Conversely,
we should do everything that win tend to
conserve this speed, which is a vital eIe-
ment In the game
The Killing case IL stiII pending, but the
- IL. VAkA a. A.m-sra.lfr
certain. The commission probably feels
like deferring as long as possible an action
so indefensible as his reinstatement. even
byryhne. IT offers no better basis for It's
disposition to reinstate the Chicago catcher
than tho reinstatement under similar,
though not IDENTICAL circumstances. Of Hal
Chase and John Hayden. Nor does 1t at
. tempt to justify the offense In either case.
4, Tho whole thing resolves itself down TO the
commission accepting a bad precedent as
rule OF Gction. How far into the future
does II propose to extend this precedent?
And Nrll other contract Jumpers in time TO
coms Do reinstated because John Killing vast
An lovers Of the game naturally would like
to see King back on the diamond, but
they cannot but realize they are INDUCING
their desires at a high cost, II you are go
ing to let a man quit base ball every time
he sees where he can make more money,
and then take him back when he gets ready
20 come, regardless Of contract rights, then
you are going to strike a fatal blow at the
Integrity Of base ban law and undermine
the game.
One thing Don Despair Is TO be con-
graduated on. and that is his selection Of
Antelopes as the title of his team. Ne
hraska Is known as the Antelope state
and lincoln is the capital OF Nebraska. II
seems an eminently befitting nickname,
therefore. IL Is all the more acceptable
because It does away with such a silly
reference as Links" We can't censure
the Antelopes for rejecting the nom de
plumes that even we have proffered, the
Bryanites or Prohibitionists. notwlthstand-
irg the last does seem to be the most ap.
propriate Of all.
III the new rule OF compelling a pitcher
10 keep both feet on the rubber while de-
nyering the ball were enforced II would
Certainly put the light man out OF business.
Men as big as Cy Young. who weighs $40.
might manage 60 steam 'em up for a time
under the handicap but even they would
suffer in speed. AS q matter OF fact. as
Joe Tinker suggests. there Is no intention