Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-10-01


being eclipsed at present by the doubt
as to whether the big games will be
played. BY defying the mandate of
the National Commission, a few of
the ball players are, figuratiyely, get
ting the rope ready to hang them
selves. The commission says that If
the players insist on allowing their
names to be put to signed stories the
series will be called off after the first
game has been played The club
owners have been notified and the
men have been told about it. still q
few of the hoastful ones declare this
is q free, American country, and they
are going to do just as they please
about contracts with newspapers. AS
to the freeness of the country, there
is some doubt. Men are not allowed
to do as they please, go where they
please and say what they please and
when they please. If there is a law
of freedom in this country there is
also law of protection, and in this
year of our Lord it is not an uncom-
mon occurrence to see persons saved
from themselves. That's what will have
to be done in this case, for the COM
mission can hardly afford to allow a
few slow-th thinking, avaricious ball
players to drive them to cover. The
men, of course, will put up a strong
argument and set forth the fact that
they have already signed contracts
ito write stories of the games for the
papers" They will also claim that
they will be held lawfully responsible
for their arrangements. In which
event, the affair would terminate in
the papers suing the writer's and the
writer's suing the commission. That
would be little worlds series in
itself.
g
From all appearances, somebody is
looking for something to happen in
baseball, and it might just as well
come now as any time. A baseball
war is due, and not few prepara-
tons have been made for it. The
players have been getting ready for
some time, as their Players Frater-
nifty indicates. The magnates, it is
said, have not been asleep, which is
sufficient that the battle will not be
all one-sided
g
A war might be a good thing. The
players have been itching around for
a rebellion for some time, and, per-
haps, as is usually the case, those
who are now the most prominent
and the hardest fighters for all, will
fare the poorest and suffer alone
when the break comes. 1t has been
ever thus, and we will look for it at
least. John McGraw, of the Giants,
is doing the most bellyaching just at
present. He has a job to do "some
writing and he is going to do it, he
says. The other players on the New
York team who are similarly situated
are, according to McGraw, going to
fulfil their contracts. This, too, in the
face of the declaration of the Ma
tlonal Commission that signed stories
are out of the question. Connie Mack
takes about the same view as Nc
Graw. Mack's argument is that the
commission should have made o its
ruling known before the players had
contracted TO do newspaper work.
There is some sense in that state
ment, but even so the players can
easily find a way out of the predica-
ment.
c.
Worlds series, in some quarters |
are considered detrimental to the best |
in baseball. Out of these champion |
ship games have come talk of scan
dial, and TO get into these champion |
ships it is said that more than one |
club has tried to bride its way. Now
comes up another situation-a stu
alton in which the players are ar
rayed against the powers of the sport. |
On the one side, good common sense
by good common sense business
men is being employed. On the other |
side, a few DULLES and a few BRAIN
less wonders are shooting their
mouth off" In the end, war or no
war, the bosses must win, for that is
the only way the players can win.
The success of the national game !
rests in the fact that its foundation |
is solid and it's word is law. When |
that foundation is shattered and that
law is broken, then baseball will be-
come a wild, embarrassed tyrant, |
without a foot to stand on. Every
body, perhaps, will suffer some, but |
the players, on the whole, will suffer
In the long run.
o
II the worst comes to the worst, |
and the series is declared off, 1t will
mean a war sure, for already Presi- !
dent Fultz, of the Players Frater-
nifty, is on the job backing up his
men. The commission is still very |
serious and seems to mean what it
says, so we will have to sit back |
and wait for developments. 1t will
be a pretty fair test of the organiza-
TONS strength and it will give line
on what might be expected of the
players in the future. The battle,
viewed from both sides, is presumed to
appear fair to the players and to the
in which event it would
be just fight. But there must be
a head, a leader, organization, and
about the last thing and the worst
thing in the world would be q lot of
players managing them
selves. The few brainy ones are too
busy with their own affairs to bother