The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1914-06-19
PUBLIC LOSING
CONFIDENCE In ]:
FALLEN. IDOLS

the matter with baseball" This in
nocent enough looking question is
just now quite a serious problem with
the owners of some sixteen major
league ball clubs. 1t is also a real
live topic with the hackers of many
more minor baseball enterprises and
has eever caused the Federal promo
ers to sit up and peer around in search
of an answer. In fact, virtually every
one financially interested in the ma
tional game is anxious to know what
has happened to cause an apparent
slackening of interest in the national
pastime.
Appended are a few things "John-
ny" Evers had to- say on the subject.
Every "fan" knows what great I'M
derstanding of the game from the
players point of view Evers has, but
one must hear him talk baseball from
the business end to realize that his
knowledge does not stop with mere
study of it's as a player. Evers is
keenly alive to all the business phases
of baseball and he has formed some
interesting opinions regarding the
widespread falling off in attendance
at the big league parks.
Public Loses Confidence.
."It looks to me-" said Evers, "as
though the public had begun to lose
confidence in some of the old idols Of
baseball-not all of them but some.
For a great many years now there
have been certain ball players before
the public who have been idolized for
their skill on the diamond. In every
city there has been at least; one player
whose career has been watched by the
loyal rooters. Their names have be-
come household words, they have been
known by pet nicknames and have
been looked upto and revered. Maybe
all this adulation has been foolish, but
it has existed nevertheless. It's part
of the game, this thing of having
baseball heroes, and the box office re-
ceipts prove that the more heroes
there are the bigger the financial re-
turns.
GAIL heroes are supposed to con-
duct themselves along perfectly good d
gives terrible jolt to the confidence
reposed in them. A pitcher who is
public idol may lose close game and
be forgiven promptly, or he may even
be batted from the box and have it
overlooked. The public is tickle re-
garding such things. But when base
ball idols commit breaches of a diff
ferent character there is a decided diff
ference. hurts the faithful fan
deeply to think that some player who
has helped to lift the favored team to
a high place in the standing would
jump to a rival organization just be-
cause he is offered little more
money. The public realizes that
player is no more than human, that
he is anxious to make just as much
money as he possibly can, but the
pinch comes when this fact is put be-
fore them in a cold, matter of-fact
/ way. It destroys lot of the thing
called sentiment.
at hasn't been the Federal league
so much that has caused the trouble
as it has the unpleasant features of
baseball brought out through the en-
trance of another league into the
baseball world. The public thinks
|
ready to violate his contract. They
like to think there is certain amount
of sentiment surrounding the continu-
ed presence of any star on a certain
team; that is, they believe he would
hesitate to jump just because it
would not be loyal to the city that has
supported him so long. And when he
does jump they are ready to believe
that he would commit other acts, that
he might even throw game to the
opposing team. Believing that, they
| lose interest and are not so eager. to
see him in action. It's just the break
ing down Of old idols.
"There is still another phase of it.
Ball playing has reached a peculiar
stage. There is not a ball team in
either big league that plays its best
to empty benches. Ball players have
become so accustomed to the pres
ence of crowds that the cheering and
all that is now part of the game
They're just the same as actors. You
wouldn't expect an actor to give de-
cent performance in an empty theatre
The Inspiration is not there. And il
is not there when a crowd is not or
hand to see ball game. Let two
teams engage in a contest without 2
soul watching them and the brand Of
ball you would get would be far in
ferior to what you would see it the
stands were filled with an enthusias
tic crowd"
Evers' ,Logis Good.
And that is how Evers views thu
troubles that have beset the nationa
game this year. His logic is un
doubtedly good and interesting, be
cause it is different from the theorie:
others have formed. There are still
two other big factors, however. On
, is that baseball has been overplayet
; this year and the other that the wea
> Their in the early part of the season
furnished. handicap sufficient to Civ
. it black eye. An instance of tn
effect Of the bad weather is found il
the fact that thus far this year tn
Giants have ten double headers il
this city piled up on their schedule
whereas last year they only had min
here throughout the season.
| Baseball has been trifie overboost
! e oil J,