Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-12-08

Baseball is under a dark cloud
This fact was forcibly demonstrated
at the meeting of the international
League at the Imperial Hotel yes
terday. In the past there has always
been much doing and great excite
ment at these sessions, but not 81
this year. An annoying quietnes:
pervaded the atmosphere. No one
wanted to buy anything, although
everybody seemed to have something
to sell In this latter respect Charles
/ II Ebbets. sr.. the father of the Feds
appeared to lead all the leagues in
hitting He wants to sell his Newark
/ Club-sell it badly-bnt he declared
/ very emphatically that he didn't want
to get rid of il, as some newspapers
have said That is a fine distinc-
ton. but one man told me that there
are finer things than that in base
ball these days. and, from casual
observation about the lobby of the
Imperial I'll admit I'll have to agree
with him.
o
To repeat that baseball is under a
dark cloud is only putting it mildly
it is under two dark clouds. The one
dark cloud hangs over the magnates
and the other hovers over the play
ers The magnates are a sad lot
Anyone who wants q ball club or
two can take his pick for couple of
thousand dollars. Not so very long
ago you couldn't buy a favorite bat
bag for that amount of money. And
as to the players, the cry is: who
wants seven pitchers, six catchers,
five infielders and four outfielders at
your own price. gentlemen" All
this. too, without even creating a
commotion. Instead of looking for a
raise. as in the past, the players are
looking for job, and instead of
seeking to strengthen their ball
teams with better men the magnates
are offering their best men for a
song. Surely these are the sad times
for the diamond stars and tears are
in order for the msgnates.
O.
But the men who make the game
and own the game are responsible for
it all. Commercialis1n, more than
anything else, has brought the
present condition Of affairs about
Charles Eobets started it with his
spectacular purchase of Joe Tinker
for s25, 900. Where it will end, good
ness only knows. The other mag
mates have also done their share to
injure their own game. and the
players are even now batting a thou
sand in that direction. The magnates
will eventually come to their senses
and eventually win, but the old road
will be mighty hard to hoe in the
meantime
C
The International League did moth
ing practically at its meeting. Dis
cussion was mostly as to how the
clubs would get by the disastrous
season that is staring them in the
face. Jack Dunn, because he saw
fit to get out from in under, was
reprimanded, two changes in the cir
cult were suggested and talked over
and a committee of five appointed to
decide what is to be done. The plan
to put a team in Brooklyn didn't
but, as President Barrow saw At to
name Mr Ebbets on the committee
which is to have the matter in charge
and also Joseph Lannin, owner of
the Providence Club, as well as own
er of the Boston Red Sox, giving the
committee two big league members,
why the rather shrewd Mr.. Ebbets
may be able to put over his pet
scheme. despite the strenuous op-
position from the minor league mag
mates. Syracuse is talked of as a
possibility to take the place of Jer-
sey City, and Richmond is sighted
as the successor of Baltimore.
.
But what's to become Of Newark?
That's what the fans around here
would like 10 know. We want a ball
club owned by man who hasn't any
big league irons in the fire. 1t is the
big leagues that are killing the little
fellows. While the Feds are fighting
the ma ors they are doing the minors
the most harm. The majors, too, are
scared to death. You could see it in
their faces yesterday. The step taken
10y Walter Johnson, Rube Marquard,
Chief Bender and Eddie Plank has
given them something to think about
0
Organized baseball will have more
to think about, too. if it disrupts two
leagues in order to try and make the
International League possible. II il
takes Richmond out of the Virginia
State League that organization il
likely TO go TO smash, and if it takes
Syracuse out Of the New York State
League it will not do that organiza-
ton any good. The suggestion is thai
Scranton, a New York State League
city, be taken instead of Richmond
That would disrupt only one league
and the very little fellows might
stand for It, but il two little league.
are smashed to make one class A 4
league. why we may see a whole 10