Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-04-16
JUDGMENTS

for the proper and fitting opening OF Pa
Rourkes new bali park and the Western
league season in this chief city OF Cibola
The Bee takes special pride IN what the
King - planning. for II has been appealing
long and loud to the public spirit of the
people TO turn out and make April q a gala
day in the base ball history of the city
and state. President Rourke deserves Il
d. has erected for us a base ball plant
that would do credit 20 a city far larger
than ours. and II has cost him a very large
sum Of money. Not to iii the park 10
OVERLOOKING on Friday would be refleo.
ton on Omaha's pride and a very direct
splash Of cold water on the enterprise of
Bill Rourke. But Pa has got together a
real ball team for his new park what
boots II that. crippled It lost those two
games down at Lincoln? Lincoln. too. for
that matter has a good team. a mighty
good one And. furthermore, Lincoln had
It's tull force against us in those two
games while Omaha was shy three regu-
ars-Gonding. Graham and Kneaves But
we 90 not care to argue that point for
exhibition games never did count in the
seasons summary The rules win NOT give
us anything on them. What we are inter-
estsd In winning are the scheduled games
FOR that matter. we made very good
showing at Lincoln particularly IN the
first game. where Fentress pitched nine
innings Of real ball and the Rourkes
knocked Woverton from the slab and Fox
was sent In. But. forget all that and sbovv
YOU are booster. not knocker next
Friday when the king. the Commercial club
and other good citizens go out to make
the welkin ring at Rourke park.
u would seem, as Fred Clarke saws that
the least MIIrDhr
Steinfeldt, who had been an importapt mart
OF his winning machine for years wopld
have been to hand him an unconditional
release. 1t is true. steInfeldt acted fool
ishly early in the spring to demand a three
year contract, when he must have known
ne was going back and then to fail to re-
port on time when he did not get his de-
mahd' But even that does not quite offset
N' that the veteran third baseman has
cone ana been for the Cubs 1t was NOT
until steinfeldt was acquired that Manager
Chance had pennant-w winning team. He
had the maehAe completed I'D to third
base but there was fatal weakness. He
looked over the other teams and decidad
mat the man he needed to give him n
winner for Chicago was playing the corner
Tor Cincinnati. He began negotiations that
resulted in steinfeldt's transfer TO the
cubs There no made himself felt as one
Of the greatest third basemen who ever
4 played the place and came up TO every
expectation Murphy and Chance had of
MIN Now with all the money he has
helped pour into the Murphy Golfers. IL
seems the smallest sort of trick TO deny
MIN as much as release that will enable
hlm to make the best bargain he can for
hhnseit. But Murphy must heap upon the
humiliation w
the unfair burden Of selling Steinfeldt to
ST Paul, where he must play or quit the
game IL is such things as this that make
1t appear that players are entitled 10 more
consideration at the hands Of team owners.
$50 Eea1l - e1.--
The Steinfeldt case will do much to CON
firm the feeling that the day has come for
change in the law regulating the rights
OF players and doing away with the OBJ
noNious term selling a man." For a long
time many have objected to the system
that regards human beings as chattle. and
another could be provided that would
relieve the player Of this odium and at the
same time meet the requirements of the
situation, why not undertake U2 ban
players have done we'll In elevating their
own moral and intellectual standards. Ia
say nothing of their physical, which is
largely the result OF the other two. WHY
not reward them by better treatment? why
not elevate, at least. the yernacular of the
trade by which they are traffieked? Even
they have to be disposed OF for a cash
consideration. do them the Justice OF not
treating them as horses or cattle. This
could easily be done without upsetting any
essential systems.
y