Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1914-09-20
FINES HELP OUT DISCIPLINE
Gilmore Of Feds Thinks il Better
System Than Suspension.
WRECKS REGULAR LINEUP
Taking Men out of Game leopard
ises the work of the Team
and spOils Cooperation
of Players.
Nv Franz q. NTrNTyT'.

" AAagNANa
~ FRANK G. HIENKE.
NEW YORK, Sept. 1se-Even some Of
The powers in Organized Base Bail think
favorabiy Of the plan Of Prexy Gilmore
of the Feds relative 10 the punishment
OF players for infraction OF playing rules.
''suspending a player isn't punishment"
says Gilmore THAT merely gives the
player a vacation. The way to preserve
discipline is by a system Of fines and
then to sec TO It that the player not the
club. pays those fines"
Gilmore now Is working on a scale OF
fines that are 20 cover practically every
offense that q bali player can commit on
the diamond. The size OF the fine viii be
fixed by the degree Of the offense
II a player merely sasses an umpire II
may cost him s.. II he uses abusive and
vile language the fine may be SO or 800
Splitting upon an umpire, clubbing him
with a bat, sdapping him on the beezer
with a glove or a fist. or gouging out his
eyes. OF course, win cost more.
Players who fight among themselves on
tho field will be fined heavily
"A series OF heavy fines will do more
90 wipe out rowdyism than any other sys-
tenn" declared Gilmore. Ever since
base ball became an institution the sys-
tenn Of suspending a player has been in
force. II has accomplished but little to-
ward eliminating squabbles between
players and umpires. The reason Is that
1t hasn't hit the offenders in their weak
est spot. When you hit a ball player in
his pocketbook. and he realizes that you
arc going 10 continue to hit him there
until he reforms, believe he'll suddenly
turn over q new leaf.
wouId Not Suspend Players.
I don't believe In the practice Of sus-
pending players. That takes them out OF
the game. wrecks the regular lineups.
and puts the entire team into a bad hole
simply because of the action OF one or
two men. Suppose that Evers, MaranviIie
and Schmidt had been suspended for five
days or a week because Of that affair IN
Chicago recently. It would have wrecked
the Braves infied. and before the regu-
lars could get back into the game again
the Braves. playing with patched up In
field, might have sl5idded too far TO get
back into the fight for the flag.
One thing ! shall insist upon in this
filming system and that Is that the players
must pay the fines. I don't permit the
club owners TO pay those fines. II they
ala, tho filming rule wouldn't be worth a
snap Of the finger. intend by the new
rule 70 hit the player; I mean to make
him pay for his rowdyism, and believe
that the strict enforcement OF this rule
will so far toward making base ball
clean throughout"
John X. Tener. president of the National
league, seems 20 have beliefs along the
same lines an Gilmore. His action in fin
ing tho three Boston players and Heinie
Zimmerman, OF the Cubs, for engaging in
the fist fight in Chicago came as a big
surprise. Tho greatest majority OF fans
figured Tener. following the old custom,
would suspend the players. But he didn't
land his action has been commended.
Had Tener exercised his power ana or
dered this quartet out Of the game for a
week 1t would have crippled both the Cubs
and the Braves. II probably would have
Killed Boston's chances, and deadened the
interest in the National league race.
Inclined 20 Filming system.
II has been noticed that Tener has been
more inclined toward the filming svxtem
than have any of his predecessors. Thia
leader.
He realizes that the player. not the fans
and his teammates should be punished for
rowdyism. II a star player Is chased from
the game It weakens his team and re-
duces the chances Of his team winning a
high position in the race. as well as
iessening the fans interest in the team.
Another reform that ought TO be brought
anout 10 that which would bar club own
ers from RENTING the fines assessed by
the manager for infractlon OF the Climb
rules. An illustration OF the demoraIixinr
etieot OF ths remittance system shows in
inc case of slim" Caldwell, the wander
ing Yankee twirier.
Slim" liked liquid refreshments during
the playing season too often for his own
good Manager Frank Chance warned him
against the practise and ordered him 10
keep better hours. "Slim" didn't head
Shance promptly assessed him about s1oo
rhis didn't cure slim" and Chance fined
MN again Chance continued TO fine cald-
we'll but IL didn't do any good
This puzzled Chance. His exn.r,ou,.
win oaii players. covering more than ten
years. taught him that when all else failsd
as curative agent, the filming OF a PLAYER
would turn the trick However Chance
learned after a while why II was tb.t
caldwell didn't mind how he was ,,nad
the Yankee club owners vpene r.,,,,s,.s.
me Tines TO Caldwell as fast as Chsno.
made the assessment
Chanee since has issued an uItIn,t,,,,, ..
he club owners that when Ia fin.s !.
player the fine standa .