The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-02-28
BASEBALL BETTING
 HOPE OF GAMBLERS
PooIroom Sharks Threaten to Invade National Game = Up to National Commission to Call Halt

Chased to cover by the practical abolition of horse racing in the sec tions where the sport formerly thriv- ed, the gamblers are making dying effort to repair their lost fortunes by out and fastening their fangs into baseball. Driven to the last ditch these despoilers of honest sports have made bid as desperate as 1t IS daring to encourage betting on the country's national pastime. With Newport, Kentucky, as it's Seat of operations. a gambling syndicate com posed of Robert Davis, Charles Bal finger and John K. Sturgfs is reach ing out and hoping to reap a fortune from the millions of fans who are 1n- terested in baseball even though the game should be killed in the reaping.
 Yesterday all the sporting editors and baseball writers in many cities of the country received by express pack- ages of booklet entitled Baseball Prospectus" sent by these Kentucky gamblers, who made the brazen re- quest that the pamphlets be distribut- ed. The gamblers didn't dare intrust Uncle Sam would get out his Big Stick and lodge some of them behind the bars.
 This Baseball Prospectus'' invited the fans to wager on the outcomes of this seasons races in the many
  well as on the proposition of club vs. club.
 This move to put the game on a par with horse racing as a medium for professional betting by gamblers will be resented strenuously by the men in organized ball. and their i1- fluence may be widespre reading enough to keep the undesirable element away from the game. It IS not believed that the scheme win meet with much success
 The Giants are made the favorites quoted at to for first place. to 5 for second place, and to for third place. In the club versus club pro- positions, the odds are even that New York will beat Chicago, and 10 to 2 that they beat Pittsbnrg. Chicago is quoted at 4 to to beat New York and 5 to to beat Pittsburg.
 The Athletics are the favorites in the American League being quoted af to for first place, l to for sec ond, and to 5 for third place. De- troit is next choice, being quoted at 4 are quoted at 5 to 1, 8 to 5. and to 5. The Yankees are quoted at to 5 to beat Detroit, even to beat Boston, and to 4 to beat Chicago.
 With the Knowledge of what this gambling syndicate is doing 1t is up IO odn JOnASOAy 4AOAldS 4<S xSAa and Garry Hermann, the three mem- bers of the National Commission, which body controls the baseball world, to get busy and drive these gamblers to the wall. Once the hon esty of baseball is put in jeopardy it might mean the end of the, game. The severest shock the game could ever receive would be the loss of pub- lie confidence. Millions of dollars are invested in baseball and the game af- lords from April to October enjoy ment for millions of fans. Is all this money to be sacrificed that a lot of crooks and gamblers shall profit? And worse yet, is the national game to be placed in jeopardy that a gambling syndicate shall grow rich?
 The National League crushed gamb- ling on baseball when it reared it's ugly head in 1877 and by banishing four men from the league gained the confidence of the public. These four men were Devlin. Craver, Hall and Nichols. who were convicted when members of the Louisville team for selling games. 1t was the only time in the history of the National League that it had to deal with gambling within the league.