New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-02-24
Comment and Gossip
on Sports of the Day

of The National League. The latter nad
many more problems To solve. but ac-
cofnplishcd that task so well as 10 tH-
nance its dignity and presuge. 10
marked degree and to bring itself closer
to press and public than al any time
within two decades. II established 4
higher standard of public ana priNa'"
snecch and manners for ITS mcinpcrS'
purgcd itself of the last vcStigc OF syn
dicatc ball: invested its executive office
with increased dignity and power: ana
Instituted team and managerial changes
certain to stimulate public and press m
tercst and support. Perhaps the most
pleasing feature of the winters work
was the active and moral support and
assistance given by each major league
10 the other in every problem that called
for solution. thus cementing that inter
leac,se amiiy and community of inter
est so vital TO the cause Of organized ball
-yarticularly at this time, when. slowly
but surely. conditions are shaping for
pOss ibe We may even say pfODdrle
trouble, or at least disturbance, in the
future. near or remote us the situation
may develop.
one would need something stronger than
Lick telescope TO observe any clouds on
the present baseball sky. Under the new
national agreement organized baseball APP
pears to be on a safer ana iirmcr founda-
ton than ever and the Calamity James
must be borrowing extra trouble If the
faintest suspicion OF internal strife can
be detected. The time may come. OF
course. when the players will rebel. but Il
strikes me that ii Will he in the dim and
distant future.
Jim Thorpe more sinncd AGAINST than
usual" might well have been the caption
over the publication of the persona, letter
he wrote TO j. =. Nicholson, and which
the latter made public. anent the hard
luck in being found out by The Amateur
Athletic Union" and that he did not feel
so badly as some persons ina Gined.
Thorpe has a lot of good friends.
Speaking Of the Olympic hero and self
confessed professional, The Sporting
News" takes up the case on its bearing
TO baseball. and winds up an editorial by
saving: Since American aristOcracy Is
founded on the cash basis and We in this
country have little use. anyway. for the
man whose sole claim 10 being gentle
man is that neither he nor his father be-
fore him ever had 20 do a days honest
~
form to the Amateur Athletic Union: Let
il henceforth make al it, prizes cash III
stead of junk that pawnbrohers shy AZ.
Then il will become the democratic and
highly popular organization that gen
eral athletic organization IN America
should be. We don't see how the ANA
teur Athletic Union authorities can con-
sistently object They viii have L. admit
that they wouldn't be IN the game them
selves Tor more than a minHte j! there
was no money in it Cor them.
This sounds like comedy. but ~ II was
written in all seriousness il must be
dubbed melod.ama. II really would he
waste of time and space 10 punch holes
through such a weak tissue of flimSy
thought As pointed out in this column
orce before action by the Amateur Attn
letic Union cast no reflection on baseball
or the honest professional Playing for
money is the difference between the anna
teur and the professional 1T involves
neither aristocracy founded on cash
basis OF democracy of visionary kind.
Johnny Evers the new manager OF the
Chicago Cubs. has been christened the
keystone King" 10y Charles Webb Muir
ply. who once dubbed Frank Chance the
Peerless Leader name which has SUI
vived. n Evers is the Keystone King
referring. of course. To his ability as a
second baseman around the keystone sack
then Larry Doyle. captain of the Giants
must be the keystone Emperor. and Ed
Ec1lipC no wander ,f N. DhflaG.l-
phia Athletics. the keystone Car
According TO the Attorney General. the
state Athletic Commission has broader
powers than even Senator Frawley, who
framed the measure. had any intention Of
granting, il a close reading of the law
means anything. II is right i'm my opin-
ion that the commission should have au-
thority to prescribe rules for limiting the
number Of tickets to be sold for boxing
matches. and that ii should have full
control of the promoters, as well as the
boxers and officials 1t seems. however.
as if the law itself should be more ex-
plicit. as otherwise later interpreta ton
possibly BY the courts may bring about
a tangle hard to unravel. Under the in
quite possible TO revive the case growing
out Of the Cross-Rvers bout at the En-
pire Athletic Club. To do this, however,
somebody must come forward with for
nal charge and in all probability nobody
will be found willing TO borrow trouble.
Ban Johnson is deadly opposed TO liter
AIRY geniuses. or better perhaps, money
grabbing name lenders, on the baseball
diamond. The order has gone forth
against sighed" stories by players in
the American League. The field is now
open to the stars in the National League
who can make base hits with the pen
for consideration. Ban Johnson is
right
DAVIS BACK TO OLD LOVE