Evening journal., 1914-03-19
WINTER LEAGUE
PLAYERS HIT
The STRETCH
Within Less Than a Month
Box Scores Will kesiR
Be Popular
By HAL SHERIDAN.
for the United Pressl

(Written for the United Pressl
NEW YORK. March l9,-Now comes
the swing into the stretch for the
Winter League With the FIRST games
of the regular season less than a
month away. box scores. hits. errors
and cries Of "bone-head" and other
appelations dear to the heart of the
American, but now demonstrated as
thoroughly beyond the grasp of the
English, will take the place of large
gobbs Of conversation.
This Is the golden age for ball
players. With the Federal League
kicking in and exhibiting young mints
10 players in return for their consid-
GRAFTON OF contracts, salaries have
scaled 10 heights that would make
bank presidents cabinet officers. and
corporation heads stagger a bit The
$4,000 wad to be presented to Iris
2 Speaker for two years work tops the
heap, and organized baseball has
gone down in It's pockets 10 the ex-
tent Of many more thousands in in
creased salaries.
President Ebbets. of Brooklyn, Is
said 20 have signed Dick kgan az
Is not a star by mile A $50 batter
Al best and nothing nashy as an in
fielder, the former Cincinnati Red will
receive more money than he ever re-
ceived before In the Wild scramble
10 prevent the Fcdorals from signing
men false values have been set up.
The stove league session just clos
ing. one of the widest In history, rs
nult I'm fh. It4
Federal organization becomes "a real
third major league or expires. the
seed for the rc-piggering OF many
angles to the national pastime has
been planted. Whether the Feds be-
come a real major league this year
or the next. or some other league as
sumes this proud position doesn't mat
ter in the broad sense of things, but
there Will be a third major league.
Organized baseball believes that
'Magnates have had a vague feeling
for sometime that the way was open
ing up for another big circuit The
sudden plunge the Feds took headed
them off for the time being.
In the search for some one who
might be held responsible for the
present position of baseball. presi-
dent Ebbets, OF Brooklyn, recently
stepped forward with the declaration
that the Three p's" had made the
game what il is today
The Players, the Public and the
Press was the way Ebbets awarded
the honors.
The players have reached n dizzy
height When the sun shines again
4
probably Will be found in his accus-
toned place roasting, roofing ana
roaring as OF yore, but in the new
order Of things organized baseball
will not be taking any chances. The
lavish expenditure Of money in rais-
ing salaries was caused by the reali-
zation that the Public would follow
the star players and not the star mag
Mates The desire is for good bases
ball and not to sit by while club
owners and the swivel chair element
play politics and wash dirty linen
President Tener IS going 70 run the
National League That idea may be
rivetted in your fedora Starting
with the elimination Of Murphy the
Governor began backing the league
bbdl ilAO n ANiUtis WHtH nt cdIN nc
would do all the talking for the
league he meant IT, and II you will
go TO some quiet spot where the
choos grow you will find it entirely
devoid Of remarks made by club
owners since Tener took office
This means the banishment OF poll.
tics and its immediate consequence
arousal Of disgust on the part of Mr.
Public.
The changed policies within the
league are in force right now but
the possibilities Of further upheaval.
may aid in filing up padded cells Il
considered at too great length Base
ball salaries won't be boosted forever
Some day when some centerneldei
OF shortstop gets to drawing as mucl
ss the President of the United States
Mr.. Public may voice a word OF two
There is nothing to conceal the fac
that baseball Is a business. one of thl
biggest in the country. If not thl
biggest The Federal League. actini
as champion Of the player. cam'
across and hiked the ante skywarl
this winter Now If someone start