Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1911-07-31
BAN JOHNSON
after GAMBLERS
American League Head Starts
Crusade on Baseball Betting.
EVIL THREATENS THE PASTIME.
Club Officials Ought to See That Prac-
tice Is Smothered at Once to Insure
Safety Of Game-PIenty Of Betting
In Detroit and Chicago.
By TOMMY CLARK.

By TOMMY CLARK.
At last steps have been taken to
combat the gambling menace to base
ball, and heroic efforts to stamp out
betting within and outside the parks
Of the American league will be made
at once by the organization in u body.
Ban Johnson recently sent out bull
letin to every American league mag
nate calling attention TO the preva-
lence of betting and asking each club
owner to enforce to the letter the sec
ton in the constitution prohibiting
betting. Not alone this. but he has in
formed the police departments of the
different cities of gambling ON the
games.
President Johnson figures that In Or
der to discourage the gamblers it may
be necessary to place under arrest
every person caught making bets at
ball park.
Now that the American league ex-
gambling at baseball games at ball
parks and on the outside it is up to
President Tom Lynch Of the National
league to issue an edict against gam
bling, and the national commission
ought to get together and put 1t up to
the club owners to stamp out gam
bling or take the consequences.
Ban Johnson's crusade grows out OF
report that much gambling Is being
INDUCED in at Chicago. Detroit. Phila-
delphia and BOSTON. 1t has been said
that there is lot Of betting in New
York, but the betting done in New
York is nothing compared to what is
done at Pittsburg.
In New York your neighbor may
say. '1'll bet you 81 that the New
Yorks get off in front and stay there"
or If there is a man near you who is
a rooter for the visiting team you will
get sore because he is roofing against
you and bet him IS that he ia roofing
for dead one" or vice versa.
Now, this is not the betting evil that
Ban johnson refers to. He. talking
straight from the shoulder-and when
he gives vent to these utterances he
knows what he is talking about-is hit
ting at bookmaking element. He has
learned that booking" is being done
on the games in Chicago and in De-
troit He also knows that Pittsburg
has an element that books" on every
game. What he fears is that II meas
ures are not taken at once to stamp
out this evil the bookmakers will in
wade the baseball parks. and II this
comes to pass 1t won't be long before
the game will be in had repute.
Last spring the gamblers attempted
to make book on the two pennan'
races. Odds were published on the
different teams. but the government
soon put them out Of business. Acting
on request from Ban johnson re-
Gently, the Detroit police began
campaign against gambling on ball
games On the first day they found
dozen or more places where boards
giving odds were shown and books
made on various games.
Many years ago betting came near
killing baseball. for it became known
that some of the ball players were in
league with the gamblers. throwing
the games or trying to win them. as
the betting demanded. The managers.
ferreting out the guilty ones. black
listed them and then framed rules to
safeguard the game against repeti-
ton of the scandal. How well they
succeeded is best told by the great
popularity of the game today. for base
ball has grown and developed until it
Is indeed the great national pastime
equaled by no other game that was
ever invented.
Ban Johnson has sounded the key.
note. and it is up to heads of the va
rious leagues and club owners to join
the movement. If this is not DONE
then baseball will lose its popularity.
Honest competition always will receive
the patronage Of the better class Of cit
liens. That is why at baseba~ game
you always find our law abiding citi-
zens.