Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-11-24
TIM LYNCH CAN
FEEL PROUD Of
HIS GOOD WORK
National League President Was
Not Given Fair Chance at Head
of Old Organization
BY Sam Crane.

with Governor John X. Tener
~ the next president of the
w National League and VIII
sort Robinson manager of the Su
a,rbas two old timers are again
sronght together in baseball, and the
snori will be the better for 1t.
In the passing of Tom Lynch,
,bough it will be well to give him
he credit that is his due. Under
sircrnstances and conditions thar
made il impossible for him to make
arv new plans or to become force
mi executive of prominence. stilt ne
has filed the important office with
Incoming dignity, much more so, III
fact than some of the magnates OF
ba league have shown.
Harry Pulliam, by his personal
characteristics. made himself much
more prominent as president than did
either Nick Young or ION bynch,
I'm, II ts A question with me if the
after did not give even more salts
action and better results than did
h lamented Pulliam.
n was Harry's disposition to get
Into the spotlight and stay there. In
this he succeeded, but it is doubtful
if all the hurrah and excitement that
surroundad his regime was as bene-
4ciaI TO the league and baseball as
Iynchs more quiet and sedate a5-
ministratiOn.
Johnson Has FuII Power.
Ban Johnson has been foremost in
baseball and has made the American
League prominent not so much by his
force of character as because he was
organization. and was given full
sway and power.
There is a whole lot Of difference
In being the president virtually Tor
life than from year to year, as was
Lynch Under the same handicap, il
IS doubtful if johnson could have
established the reforms that he has,
although | acknowledge that he is
very smart person and the man for
he position, His personality has
OTIS to do with his success and that
of the league. but possibly Lynch
would have branched out and in
stalled reforms had he been given the
swing-the power. But that was
never accorded him, and-he felt thar
he was kept under the bushel. ami
he remained hidden there.
Lynch make regular visits to the
cities i'm his circuit and see person
ally how his umpires, were doing,
and that he failed to- Aningle" as he
should have with the club owners
was held against him,
Took Things fer Granted.
Lynch took it for granted that mis-
ump.ras could not be wrong. He was
elected president on that issue-and
nothing eise-to straighten out the
umpire tangle, and was most consis-
ent IN supporting the fellows or
whom he had been one in his early
DAYS of the game.
He stuck to his umpires through
mick AMI thin, and he can not D.
blamed for that, possibly. 1t may
have resulted all for the best that he
aid So for if he had listened to all the
hlcks made and released any of his
star by reason of the fault found
with them, that would have been an
entering wedge that would have
meant chaos.
The National League started wrong
oy elecung it's presidents for only
one-year terms. Good ma tured, easy
going Uncle Nick" Young. although
ne was head of the organization for
twenty years or more, was fearfulY
AFRAID Of strife, and he avoided it at
every opportunity. He was a mere
ngurehead; but, nevertheless, a dear
Old soul, who was completely wrapped
up IN the National League and the
game.
League Has Prospered.
Ihey say of Otis Crandall that he
would be twice over the valuable
payer that he is if he would hold
MS head up'-that is, be more chesty.
ana that has been the trouble with
ION Lynch as president.
can be said of the latter's ad-
inIhistration, though, that the spo;t
mas had Its most successful days I'M
usr Il, He can look back to his term
u once with pride and satisfaction.
Lynch did come to the front when
~ set his foot down against Horace
tIgsel and his scandalous talk. The
tets'lh1hatlon of Fogel was one thing
sat VIII stamp Lynch's regime as
historical and little less momentous
Ior tne well-being of baseball than
when William A. Hurlbut, of Chicago,
o wv while president, stamped out
TooNeuness by blacklisting those
payers who were found guilty of It.