The Detroit times., 1914-12-02
This City the Calm Spot in Vor-
tex of BasebalPs Belligerent
Storm
PLAYERS LOYAL AND NO
INVASION THREATENS
Just Routine DOings Found At
Navin StrOnghOld-News is
Very Meager
BY HAROLD Y. WILCOX

The science sharps tell US that in
the midst of every devastating tor,
nado there is spot that is peaceful
! and serene. All around old mother
earth may be doing deryish dance
To the accompaniment OF howling
winds, they tell US, but right in the
I center is tiny area that is absolutely
calm. ...
We can well believe in this bit OF
natural phenomena, for with our own
eagle eyes we Detroiters are witness
ing that very sort OF thing. While
the peace and quiet OF baseball cen
teis in every direction are being up
rooted by the fury OF baseball war,
everything in Detroit is SO matter-of.
fact and prosaic as TO almost arouse
apprehension. The suite OF offices
that crown Navin field is by no means
the dullest place in town, but il is the
last place one would look for excite
ment this winter.
There the old routine ,of signing UP
exhibition games for the spring trip
and the chartering of special cars for
moving days in the south, the filing
lof contracts and the perusal Of let
ters from embryo ivory hunters" who
have uncovered a phenom at hitherto
unknown regions OF the bushes
these and the other very ordinary
duties OF the old-fashioned winter
league season are all that is doing on
4 the Navin corner of Michigan and
Trumbullaves.
Every morning Mr. Nayin comes
\ down after the old-time custom and
receives his callers with the old time
courtesy and interesting "reminiscences
But as for news-there isn't any
There are the hopes that the young
pitchers will come through, that the
4 ole at second base will be plugged.
that the old boys will have a good
year and the new ones price better
than "phenoms" generally do II is
admitted that world series with half
the games played In Detroit would
look good on the fall program next
year, and even an occasional predic-
tion that perhaps such may be the
case, but there the excitement ends.
You would never guess that base
ball war was silvering the locks OF
organized baseball by worry and ap-
prehension, and that in other major
league cities in our fair land mag
mates were tearing their hair and
\ Mailing because ballplayers are crea-
tures whom outlaws can tempt and
fans are tickle persons who occasion
ally visit Federal league parks or
sometimes satisfy their baseball in
stincts by watching downtown score
n boards.
ALI Is very, very well on the Detroit
river. Tyrus Is signed. Sa mis- salts
fed with his contract, DOME Bush is
loyal, and so are all the rest of the
Bengal tribe. The Feds have had
their fling at attempting to find ball
park In the City of the Straits, and
were flung back to whence they came.
Navin field is the last place on the
circuit this winter in which to look
FOR war news from the front, and,
strange 10 say, Detroit fans are just
4 as well pleased with things as II pip
ing-hot stun, la Murphy, Tener and
Ban Johnson, was being served UP in
Jungletown.
Today Mr.. and Mrs. Vavin leave for
Ne wYork on a little vacation trip,
That the Tiger mogul will be in
Gotham when the National league
meets to solve its perplexities is mere
3 1y coincidence, says Mr.. Navin. Ii
is possible that he may be called into
conference, and that other American
league magnates may be found in New
York that week, but Ii is very unlike
\ ly that such a pow-wow viii vitally
interest Detroit.