Omaha daily bee., 1912-02-18
Judgments


stars redividus, Men who have
- crossed the meridian Of life COM
plain that they find the door Of
opportunity in business and even profess
sional activities either entirely closed
when they apply. or not more than barely
ajar. But base ball. which now must be
reckoned as ono Of the big businesses
of the land, II. indeed. not a profession,
with generous impulse and large SYM
pathy, throws open wide the door and
says TO the old man. enter, you are well
come-provided you can deliver the goods.
We have q place for you. you have
boon for US. Give us of the store OF your
experience and we will assure you good
pay. So many of the big league teams
are finding berths for these old veterans
OF the game. For several years, the in
imitable Latham has danced courage and
skill into the young New York Giants.
Now old Kid Gleason has been signed by
the White Sox ss assistant manager" 10
help Manager Callahan manage himself
and act as buffer between Cal and the
men, as well as to stand over third base
and show the youngsters how to bring in
more runs. Monte Cross will perform in
a similar role for the Browns. Old Deacon
Mcclure has been acting in that and other
capacities for Cleveland. Jack Chesbro,
the once famous pitcher. is to get another
chance to come back" with his old
mates, the Hlghlanders. These instances
do not take into consideration the most
general use being made by base ball OF
Its giants. that OF placing them In the
managerial positions, where, Of course,
they are needed. No game. no business
and no profession can. afford to pass up
its old men simply because they are old
men. There must be better and more
valid reason. The business needs the ex-
perience of Its veterans. or the whole
thing were in vain.
-
Brother Dave. who is the urbane sec
rotary of the Omaha club. is very fine
photographer. only you had better not
call him that name, But, at any rate, he
objects strenuously to man who cannot
write a pretty hand and when a contract
from a new player comes back signed in
such a way as to make II look as II a
hen had danced acrosc the sheet of
paper Brother Dave Immediately goes up
into the air and forms very deep-seated
suspicious of the mans fitness for mem
bership on Pas nine. He has never felt
quite right toward skipper Bill Schlpke.
because Of the quaint stab he made at
signing his name In his original contract
many years ago. True, Bill proved to
be some third baseman. good enough to
get into big company and all that, but all
the while Brother Dave was nursing that
suspicion. saying TO himself and q few
Of his intimates: II can't understand it,;
surely a man who writes like that land
often he would hold the contract up be-
fore him and gaze in disgust upon the
frantic scrawI at the bottom Of the sheet,
which, Interpreted. meant William
schipke0 can ever make first class
bail player" We have never been able
quite to go with Brother Dave on this for.
barking back into the bowels Of base ball
history we recall now several men whose
names are writ high upon the scroll Of
fame-get that, will you?-who never
COQlQ nave gut AiiEill tucAC at nAAs ~ ~
depended upon their ability to write. So
we say, no matter about the fist you
sling. Just so your batting eye is good and
q few other little things.
william W. Whitman. president Of the
so-called United States league, proposes
to abolish the reserve clause in players
Ha Hfp do
away with slavery" That sounds. well,
but 1t will not hold water. II Mr.. Whit
man does not know now he would find
out by experience that base ball inter-
ests, like any other business investment.
would be worth little unless they pos
sessed degree of permanency. No team
organized for a season only would be
very valuable. If players, after playing
out one season. were left free and un-
restricted to go and do as they pleased
the financing of base ball would become
much more strenuous than It is. This
talk may make a hit with the unthinking,
who are always looking for chance 10
soak the man on top, but with those stu
dents Of the game who understand its
makes no hit at all And If this project
Of a new major league rests upon no more
solid ground than this sort Of stuff, then
it is not very substantial.
Old Ted Sullivan appears as the author
Of a serial story in the Sporting News,
setting forth the base ball career Of
Charles a. Comiskey. 1t should be both
interesting and authoritative. for Ted is
a most interesting old chap and he is the
soafarher of Commy. having brought hin
out and put him in base ball and has
never ceased to groom and boost the Old
goman. whose fame. in many respects, is
1aiaue among all base ball men
Pa and Dick Grotte are whetting uT
their scythes TO get the grass away
1t the grand old park. Hoops, my dear!
Is Brer Welsh only teasing US FAM
with this tantalizing taste of spring?