The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-05-03
ORGANIZED BASEBALL MUST
MAKE PEACE PROPOSITIONS
indcpendent Feds Have Shown Sur
rrisinS Strength During Their
Short Life.
NAVE OLDER LEAGUES on ntN
Especially I'm Two Minor Leagues OF
"A Classification Iins Untold Dam
nEc Already Dccn Wrought.

f-AsssHuS hCCh w
New York, May ,9.-The prediction
thadc about two months ago that or
Ganized baseball would be forced to
make peace overturcs 10 the Federal
League now seems certain of becoming
reality. Strange as Tho statement
may seem, 1t nevertheless is true that
The upstart and youthful Federal
organization has the oil, and well.
established organized baseball Sighting
on the defensive with its back against
the wall.
Tho fans, for the most part, seem to
be with the so-called "outlaws"-with
them to the extent that where there
have been conflicting dates up to tho
present. the Feds have outdrawn the
organized. opposition. And. best OF all,
froma Federal viewpoint, the fans who
have so far DntroniZed the Federal
parks have been perfectly satisfied
with the brand of baseball dished out
by the "outlaws,'' and have openly de-
clarcd that they'd come again.
WrcckinE Minor Leagues.
III organized baseball circles there
is the fear that the Icdcrals will
drive TO the wall the none too success
full class AA minor league teams with
which the Feds compete. This Is true
in Baltimore and Buffalo. which have
representation in the international
League, and in Kansas City aud In
dianapolis, where the American Asso.
citation has teams
In the two Eastern cities the fans
have gone wild over the Fcdcrals, and
tho early games put on display by tho
new League have been OF such calibrc
rs to convince fandom that it's ma :
tor league brand of baseball. Such
being the case i'll Buffalo and Balti-
more. as well as in Indianapolis and
Kansas City. it readily can be seen
that the baseball public--at least ~
large portion of it-that patronized
the International League games last
year will shift TO the Feds.
This not only will cut into the re-
ccipts of the organized home clubs In
those four cities. but also Will great
. ~ reduce the divvy of the visiting &
S clubs. in other words, It Will mean
something like Il 80 per cent reduc-
5 tion in attendance receipts for most
az The clubs in the American Associa
tion and international League.
Make Good In Zig League Towns.
In the four cities where the Feds
compete with the majors--Chicago,
ST. Louis. Pittsburgh and Brooklyn
the fans have become enthused over
the Feds to the point where ii seems
they Will support the club in nice
style If tho st. Louis Feds can fur :
nish winning article of ball they
/Wiil he sure to outdraw both the Car
dinals and Browns, perhaps draw rs
many al both clubs together. 1t
wouldn't be surprising il the Brook :
lyn Feds drew as many people during
the 1914 season the established
Brooklyn Dodgers, provided. OF course,
that tho Feds make as good showing
In their league as the Dodgers do IN
the National.
In Pittsburgh. as we understand it,
Barney DrcyfuSs, the Pirate owner,
Is none too popular, and 1t IS only the
personal popularity OF Wagner and
Clarke, and the fact that there was no
real opposition In other years that
has made the Pirates a winning club,
rs far IS gate receipts are concerned.
Things are n bit different in the Smoky
city this year; the fans like the s1'cds,
ana they are patronizing the park In
a. way thar was beyond even the
dreams OF the hackers
Chicago Likes Tinker.
chicago thinks lot OF Joe Tinkcr's
Fcds-and not very much of the
wrecked Cubs. The result will be, as
Things are viewed now, that the Chi
|cago Feds Will outdraw the Cuns, II
they can keep up in the race in their
league.
Aside from these reasons there are
Others that seem TO forecast seeming
certainty OF peace overtures from or
Ganized baseball TO the Feds. tn,
taken away the foundation OF organ
lied baseball. 1t has given the Feds
the legal right TO step IN and hire
players whose contracts have axbired
Further than that, the Feds :. Ira ve
reached point now where they arc
jumping In and signing up PLAYERS
whether those players arc under con.
tract or not. 1t may be busting the
law, but the Feds are doing it merely
In retaliation for what organized base.
bail did. The Feds arc willing TIM,
the matter so TO court, IF the organ.
LED baseball people want 10 take 4,
there.
Ready to Grab Players.
There's another reason which we al.
ready have pointed out--the fact tina,
the Feds arc waiting to sign any o.
Kanizcd player who IL not contentcf
mas sort OF wrecked 'thc discipline. a,
organized baseball Some OF the MAY
ers in organized baseball aircad hay,
assumed defiant "go To bla2es at
tjtude toward orders from :he clut
owners. league presidents, and ever
the national commission.
~ YOU dom like the way we Il,
things, say so, and wc'll go over !,
The Feds" Ia the Challenge OF tb,s,
blazers. And although these nlavcr,
need uiscipliEi 0g-and perhaps need Il
very nuch--their organized owners ar,
tiraiu to Impose penalties for foa,
The players wiilNiump AZ a result thf
'or,hcf wonderful discipline tina. u, a.
Halied within organized baseball ha.
gone on the fritz ''
Al IN all. i. seems just now TIM,
Eanzed baseball is 10 male 49, -.
pverturrs-apI 90. '~'N'-'