The Washington times., 1913-04-10
THE BASEBALL SEASON.

VIII nalf foot or snow on the ground out West,
and feeling of in the air, the American
League baseball season is scheduled for opening in
Washington today. 1t is the Inauguration of that
sport which, by season, strengthens its hold
upon the public and gains more and more recognition
not only as national game, but as the premier
game of all the worlds athletics. '-
From the ancient Olympic contests down to this
good year 1913, there has been game, if perhaps
we must except the Journeys of medieval chvalry,
that compared to this one. Perhaps the most re-
markable thing about it is that it has been placed
on business basis without losing anything of its
quality as square sport" Millions upon millions
are invested in it. 1t is highly organized territories
are divided, competition is rgidy controlled excel
lent wages are paid, and most exacting conditions
are fixed for the men who earn these wages.
The gentlemen on Capitol Hill who are met to
consider national problems of industry and organ
ization, might 60 farther and find a much worse
example for their consideration than this of baseball
There is no doubt that if baseball were thought of
primarily as business instead of a sport, it would
be recognized as heinous trust" The two big
leagues constitute the holding concerns at the top;
the minors are all subsidiaries. The Standard Oil
or the Hartman system does not represent more
complete outworking of the trust principle. But
what is tine effect?
Baseball mas Deen DeueT managed, ana mas COHl.
manded public confidence to a larger measure, as
its business organization has been centralized and
strengthened 1t can fairly be said that the product
has been improved in quality, and has better satisfied
the public >The public would not like to see base
ball revert to the old days of independent organza
tion competition and uncertain conditions In fact
il would be impossible to provide real baseball now
adays, under those conditions simply because it
requires such vast amount of money to provide
accommodations in the great cities. Ii is highly
organized and centralized baseball, or none at ALL
Ii is worth while to follow out and think out this
parallel between baseball and industry. A year or
two ago somebody in Congress demanded by reso-
luton an investigation or something else, about the
baseball trust" We have great doubt that an
investigation and prosecution under the Sherman
act would find that baseball under the National
Commission is trust; conspiracy in restraint of
trade. Suppose so? Suppose that the system of
controlling players, drafting, and the like-which is
the baseball worlds method of suppressng the ex-
cesses of competition-were knocked out?
Baseball would go ION the bum" if resort may
be mad to the bleachers mode of expression and the
public would be mighty mad. Now, it merely hap
pens that more folks are friendly to good baseball
than friendly to particularly concerned about
the product of any other trust on earth. To smash
antitrust act and perhaps lead TO its reorganization
This is no jocular observation 1t is serious state
nlent If the Tobacco trust, say, had treated the
tobacco industry as well as the Baseball trust has
treated baseball and had earned as many appreca-
tive friends by dint of bettering its products, the
antitrust law would have been in grave danger in
attacking the Tobacco trust.
Why not have the antitrust act reorganzed,
then, so that there would be danger of its &C
complishing bad results, either in industry in
sport? The big csntralized, wide-spreading organ
lzaons necessary alike for the best development
of either sport business. They can't in the long
run, be abolished We are going to have to get
along with them, and the sooner we recognize that
fact the better it will be.
Meanwhile, with cheerful confidence that Mr.
Attorney General McReynolds will not enoin to-
days game, and high in hope that the home team
may start off with place at the top of tne per-
centage column, the town greets the returning
heroes of the diamond, and wishes them success
May they land the pennant that they narrowly
missed last season, and have big dray-load of
post-season receipts to parcel out among them
selves,
1t would be easy enough to wish that more
people who go to ball games might for their own
sakes, take their athletics in person instead Of
by proxy Five holes at golf, would be worth good
deal more to a man from stuffy office, than the
joy of seeing Clyde Milan steal three bases in
cession But next to doing those five holes the best
possible substitute is two hours in the grandstand |
breathing the fresh air, whooping er up for the
home team and against the opposition, getting the
remote tracts of the lungs into touch with the at
mosphere. developing bit of real animal enthusiasm,
and then walkinG home in as good temper as may
be possible in view of the obligation which in those
circumstances is laid one, to grumble about the
bad car service. !