The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1914-07-17
BASEBALL GOLF, TENNIS, AQUATICS, BOXING
SPIKES NECESSARY
TO BALL PLAYERS
Menke Answers Fans Sug-
gestiOn to Eliminate Dan
ger Of Sliding.
BY FRANK G. MENkE.

The Federal league folks who are
aiming to please the fans might make
= master stroke If they introduced free
score cards at their parks. The idea
Of paying for scorecards at the ball
games appeals to most fans in the
nature Of holdup. Why should the
fans be compelled to pay for score
cards? Why aren't they given away
free the same as theatre Programs?
II the Feds ever get together a real
ball team In Brooklyn the Ward fam
ily's team will outdraw the Dodgers
to !, no matter what the attraction
the Dodgers are staging. The Wards
have made hit with the Brooklyn
fana. They gave away some souvenirs
to both sexes of the fans that attend
ed the Fourth of July game there.
They have reduced the prices and in
stead of forcing the bleacherite to sit
In the uncovered seats originally de-
signed for them, the Wards have in
vited the 25 cent fan to sit in the
covered stands where he can enjoy a
game without being broiled.
sliding Best Feature. &.
A fan has just issued forth with the
suggestion that sliding into the bases
be eliminated from baseball. He points
out that many of the games greatest
stars have been forced out of the
lineup for days and weeks because of
injuries received by the spikes of the
opposing base runners.
The suggestion, although good in
one sense, cannot be adopted. To eli
inmate sliding from baseball would
eliminate one Of the best features of
the game. 1t would reduce base
stealing to a minimum because a play
er who was barred from sliding the
final eight or ten feet of his pilfering
journey, wouldn't take the chance OF
making the base.
Some years ago it was suggested
that the sharp steel spikes used by
ball players be replaced with leather
blocks on the soies of the shoes, on
much the same style that golfers and
football players use. But experiment
with these showed that they were
almost without value as they did not
dig into the ground deep enough to
aid the base runner. In fact, they
burrowed only the slightest fraction OF
an inch because of their rather blunt
points, and the base runner found that
instead of being aided, his speed was
retarded
O. 3. YelIs Traitor.
Every time an organized baseball
player jumps to the Feds or begins
flirting with the Feds, the o. B. mag
mates at once shrek about his trait
| erous actions" They assert that this
player owes a certain loyalty to the
| fans and to his owners and that he is
committing horrible crime by outwit
ting them, or even thinking about it
The 0. B. magnates always lay par
| ticular stress upon the disloyalty tina,
! is shown to the fans by the player who
/ tumps-which is a bit of grandstanG
play that fans can see through with
out the aid of their spectacles. Wher
the magnate sees chance to trade OF
sell one OF his stars, he doesn't consul
the fans as to whether they want the
deal put through. He just swaps. He
hgM es that the deal will serve his owr
interests. And that is the way the
jumping player feels.
II player can get about twice al
much money for his services from
one man as he Is getting from an
other, why shouldn't he change jobs
This loyalty to the fans" is a lot O
bunk. He is their hero one day
II he performs well. And the mex
day, II he fails to hit in pinch, o.
hobbies at a crucial moment, he il
Kissed and hooted. No one knows thi
better than the ball player, and that il
why he is tempted by a larger offe
from the Federal league.