Omaha daily bee., 1914-07-05
ORGANIZED BALL BLUFFED
When II Promised II Would Spend
-Four Million Fighting Feds.
CONTINUE 10 GATHER STARS
OutIsws sTsl<ing ~ IntersstiRg fer
MaEnates, In that they Are Get
tiaE the Players Fans want
20 see In Action.
nv FRANK G. NIENKE.


NEW YORK. July 5.-where's that
AOoo.ooo war fund that Organized Base
Ball told us II had on tap last fall Just
az the time that the Federsls were be-
ginning 70 sit up and take notice7
As far as anybody has been able 20
see that war fund was Just a myth and
a bluff II was a bluff intended 70
friRhten 'em one little BIT
II seems 70 most people that II would
have been mighty good plan for Or
Eanized Base BAH to have had a war
fund on hand. They certainly need II
nov. such q fund would give them tho
real weapon with which TO whip the Fed
erals. All the other weapons they have
used. such as weekly predictions that the
Feds would bust up the next week. daily
shouts OF the Feds are Jokes" and
threats 10 blacklist all jumping PLAYERS
have proved futile.
And II seems almost time that organ
iSed Base Ball, n II expects to crush the
Federa1s, got busy and used the same
tactics that have made the Feds what
they are--the spending OF an unlimited
bankroll. Why don't Ban Johnson and
John Tener order the magnates 20 begin
raiding the Feds2 why don't they outbid
the Feds for players who are on the
point of jumping7 Why don't they try
10 get back those who have Jumped by
offering them higher wages than the
Feds now are paying themf
wsuId Have 60 Loosen Up.
OF course to do that IL would mean
that the Organized moguls would have
q unstrap their bankrolls and pay out
az much money as they expected TO make
during the next year OF two. But isn't
Il worth III No league can exist that
hasn't the star players. II has been
shown that the players are fickle-that
they'll 70 where the most money is for
them. So why is Organized Base Ball
standing idly by letting its best players
Jump, and doing nothing but going into
the courts and restraining the players
from playing7
IL may be a good move from organ
iSed Base Balls viewpoint TO use court
action to bar the players from playing
with the Feds, but II this jumping and
restraining business keeps up there will
he only a corporars guard OF players left
in the cavort in the grand old pastima
And Il is a cinch that the fans won't pay
to see base ball played in the courts.
Inc EGuH nhNN COHiN " AteAAHo NNe~s N'A~h
ere in a rather tight position and that
the only way out is to spend a million
or two in getting real ball players. And
that's what they are doing. They are
bidding high-bidding unheard-of prices
for ball players-but they know that II
they get the cream OF the talent In the
Organised Majors the expenditure will be
worth while. They then will have the
real players. Organized Base Ball win
have the leftovers. And the crowds won't
20 to see the leftovers.
Predictions Are Absurd.
Nothing sounds quite so absurd a. these
weekly predictions on the part OF Ban
johnson and his colleagues in Organized
Base Bali that tho Feds will certainly
bust up the next week. The Fed mag
mates have few million dollars at stake
Most OF them are mighty shrewd business
men. They know that when caught in a
tight corner the best plan 10 to loosen
more money and pun yourself out OF H.
That's what they are doing. They are
building now for next year, and II scans
Ess44Sy certain that when they open the
1915 season they will have In their ranks
quite a number Of the big stars who arc
In Organised Base Ball today.
The Federal league magnates are not a
bunch OF boobs, as most OF the Organised
people would have one believe. The stories
to the effect that President Gilmore, whom
he interested capital in the new league,
told the people that millions would be
made the first year IL a lot OF bunk. The
men who invested in the Federal league
are OF the type OF men who have made
successes in other business enterprises.
and they know that no big returns can
be expected from any investment during
the first year.
Every masnate now in tho Federal
league has announced his intention OF
sticking and OF putting up his last dollar
to pull the baby league to the top. Each
one realizes that II Is going to be a real
fight from now on and each is prepared
TO fight TO the finish. The small attend
shce at the Federal league parks. for a
time. discouraged the magnates. But
they have come 10 realize that Il Is not
because the public Is not in sympathy
with them, but that Il ls because the
public when Il has 76 cents or 81 10 spend
would rather spend It In watching stare
perform than 20 spend II watching Just
ordinary players do the chores.
And so they are out after the stars