The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-01-15
PLAYERS TALK
ABOUT WINNERS
Christy Mathewson Says Race
for National Pennant Will
Be Closer.
MANY COLLEGES PLAY
PROFESSIONAL BALL
Nebraska's Board of Control in
Favor of Baseball During
Summer Vacation.
BY MANHATTAN.


By Leased Wire TO The Tribune.
NEW YORK, Jan. l4.-Basebail fans
and even the players are already fig
uring out pennant winners for 1911.
'The race for the National league
baseball pennant in 1911 will be hot
ter. closer race than the season just
closed" says Christy Mathewson of
the New York Giants.
GA great many people have picked
New York TO win. Of course, per
sonally believe it is little too far in
advance to say with any certainty, or
to hazard even good guess rs to
which club will win. L do believe
however, that New York will make a
| better showing in 1911 than last year;
not because New York will be stronger
than il was, but more especially be-
cause i believe Chicago will be weaker.
| Pittsburg will make better showing
than il did this past season.
"While it is true that the Pirates
pitching staff was not always to be
relied upon-I say this as a general
| proposition, it has always impressed
me this way; that Pittsburg in 1910
wasn't hitting like the Pittsburg of
old. Until very late in the season none
of the Pirate heavy hitters was batting
around 300. Even Wagner didn' un-
til the last six weeks That, in my
| opinion. was responsible for Pitts
burg's failure to land.
"This talk about Wagner being re-
leased. or traded, or sold is poppycock.
Z Honus' will be playing for the Pirates
next season. If there's any likelihood
of Pittsburg letting Wagner go, New
! York will be the highest bidder for him.
s1If ryo cap - him auywbarp elsp
| I'd like to use him behind the bat.
They call him an old man, bat he's
pretty live one for all that, and he
hasn't reached the age limit by any
means Cy Young at ~ is still play,
ing, and Ansou played after he had
crossed the two-score line. OF course,
the life Of the average baseball player
doesn Z extend to 40 years. and the
men that exceed il arc considered
among the worlds seven wonders: but
there have been instances and there
will be others.
Weak in Pitching Staff.
81 don Z look for Chicago to show
as well next season as they did this
last season, because | believe they will
he much weaker in their pitching staff
! believe Reulbach will do better, how.
ever, for the reason that he had diph-
therla last season, and was not himself
at all. | know what that is, for | had
dipbtheria myself four or five years
ago, and | wasn't any good that year
look for Boston To get away from
the tail end next season, and 7 look
for Pittsburg to be in the running
Baseball has been, apparently. one of
the most difficult of problems for the
colleges, rowing one of the easiest
Since the season for the former sport
continues after the university has been
closed 10 is extremely difficult 10 con-
troll. Many colleges play what is
frankly professional baseball, believing
that the men viii become professionals
in any event, and the college might as
well use them while they are still
among the undergraduates.
Winking System Wiped Out.
A certain man was splendid base.
ball player, determined to play profes.
sional baseball during vacation. This
meant great sacrifice for him, for he
had healthy desire to wear varsity
letter. He was popular in college, and
honors other than athletic came his
way; but the one honor he wanted most,
that of representing his college on the
diamond. was denied him. Certain in
fluences were set TO work in the col
lege to induce him to play, He was
told that his summer baseball would be
winked at.
! He shook his head and said: {" No, |
cannot do that; | am a professional.
And | want to be an honest profes
sional. If ! did what you suggested |
| should be neither an honest professional
nor an honest amateur.
His stand was not without it's effect
, on his college, for the system of wink
! ing at summer ball plaving was wiped
out The attitude of one man like this
is of more value TO his college, than
any number of winning baseball teams
about whose amateur standing there can
bo any doubt whatever.
Nebraska's Attitude Interesting.
Apropos of what has been said about
summer baseball, the attitude Of Ne
braska university is interesting. Ne
brnska' s board OF control is so strongly
in favor of permitting students TO play
baseball during the summer vacation
that il has voted to abolish the dia-
mond game unless the Missouri valley
conference will agree TO rescind the
present rule against the participation
in the professional contests by the col
lege students. DR.. Clapp, athletic di-
rector, will attend the conference meet.
ing under the instructions TO ask for
the abrogation Of the nnti-baseball reg
ulation If the efforts of the reprcsen-
tative fail, the Cornhusker institution
will do without ball next spring.
The fight against the conference rul-
ing was started Mt Nebraska last spring
when the board in control refused to
certify the eligibility of the members
of the nine under the letter of the con-
ference ruling. Because Of this stand
the team was kept from meeting any
conference teams except Ames, the ath-
letic board of which accepted the state
ment of the Nebraska board to the eff
feet that il was known there were GER
tain Cornhuskers who had played with
professional teams.
Other institutions in the league have
Joined with the Cornhuskers in the OPP
position TO the present ruling.