Omaha daily bee., 1910-10-20

Talk Of forming a new major league in
base ball in opposition to the present Ma
toual and American leagues has caused
the fans to call TO mind the earlier history
and the peculiariues OF some Of the lead
ing men now In the game. The projected
new league is gcnei ally derided by tho
newspapers. but others point out that the
same fate met the American league when
IL was first aEitated
Professional base ball owners and man
ayers come from all walks Of life and
hundreds Of stories arc told of their
peDuliauties. II Is recognized maxim that
a successful base bah man must have more
or less sporting instincts. For this reason
the entrance Of professional theatrical men
into the organized sport Is resisted vigor-
ously. Il is feared they might put the
game on even more OF a commercial basis
than it is now.
The most prominent OF the owners In the
| game is Charles H. TAFT, brother of Presi-
dent Taft, muumnlionaire ana owner Of
a Cincinnati newspaper. He got into base
ball by buying the Chicago National league
club on the advice OF Charles w. Murphy,
now president OF that club and said to be
owner OF majority of its stock. Base
/ ball runs ia the Taft family the president
having been a good player at Yale and an
attendant at major league games when
/ ever he got the chance.
J Garry Hermann. chairman Of the Ma
| tlonal Base Ball commission, is known as
a base bali man because Of the constant
| mention of his name I'm connection with
! the commission and his ownership of the
! Cincinnati National League club. but he is
a man OF large affairs In other directions.
As president of the American Bowling con-
gress and grand exalted ruler of the Elks
| ne has attained national prominence In
addition. Mr.. Hermann is a prominent
figure in Cincinnati's commercial, financial
and political life.
Charles Comiskey, owner Of the Chicago
Americans, Is the ideal base ball owner
lie is one OF the greatest strategists and
players the game ever produced and was
wonder a first baseman for the old
ST Louis Browns. He is said TO have beer
one of the earliest to discover that first
basemen could play away from the bas,
as they Invariably do now. Mr. ComlskeS
pays strict attention to business and IA
always in touch with his team whether a
home or on the road. He is popular with
his men, but any man playing for hin
would rather tackle saw-mill than b,
called into the office for a lecture by "Th,
Old Roman He does not swear at o
upbraid offenders but says things base,
on his perfect knowledge of the game an,
the mems weaknesses that are more effec
tive than any torrent OF abuse could pos
sibly be.
Barney Dreyfuss, owner of the PittsburJ
Pirates, was a business man i'm bad healtl
in Paducah and Louisville, KY, before n
took an active interest in base ball II
soon became an ardent enthusiast an,
! Al
today. He has a wonderfully retentiv
memory and it is said that he has the bat
ting and fielding averages of every playe
of promise in any league at his fingers
end. He keeps a large collection of sue
statistics around him. On the slighte-
provocaton he refers to them diggin
therefrom information about whether tn
player is right or left handed, fast or sIo,
on his feet, or quick or dull thinker.
Probably the greatest character in tn
game is Joe Cantillon, manager and, wit
y his brother Mike, owner OF the Minnear
oils club, which won the American assc
citation championship this year He wa
, formerly a minor league player, then
major league umpire, and innumerabI
anecdotes are told OF him. One that wi
never die is that which relates to his trad
ing ball player he did not want and di
-, not like for a bulldog he earnestly de
sired. Last spring he is said to hav
traded another player to Charley Carr, IN
? Indianapolis manager, for "a complete 50
OF uniforms for the Minneapolis team
A Carr being in the sporting goods business
, Another famous one about Cantillon OF
e iglnated when he was managing the Wasl
a tngton American league team. The un
Il pire had given several decisions that vastl
a displeased the irascible Joe, and he turne
n to President Ban Johnson of the America
r league, who was in a box. and exclaimed
Il Say, Mr.. President, warm up another un
II