El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-02-10
Big League or Bust Slogan Fails
IL ~ IS il Il
At That Feds May Play Glass A Ball
BY JOIN e. WRAY.

LOUIS, No, Feb. 1O.-That
..big-league-or-b bust slogan of the
~ Federals may be realized in grand
stands, grounds and traffic through
the gates, this year; but that 1t can
be a baseball fact, as applied to the
playing strength of the teams involved
Is now a practical impossibilltyr for
1914 at least.
The roundup of the various teams
shows that signed contracts or agree
ments of not over two regular men,
on the average, from each big club
have been obtained by the FederalS.
Probably several bench warmers,
hasbeens and promising youngsters
will swell the number of those with
ma jOr league flavor TO their names
But practically the big league CLUBS
of the majors are left intact.
The clubs supposed to be hurt are
the New York Americans, the Cleye-
land Maps and the Philadelphia Ma
tiOnals But the completed rosters
of even these teams show strength
beside which the lineup announced
for Joe Tinkers' Feds Cthe best OF
the outlaw clubs, apparently looks
like a bunch of 4anniSans.
No Minors Allowed!
Just now the Federals are cropping
about among the minor leagues for
talent and the lesser leagues are be-
ginning to get their backs up at the
prospect of competition. OF course a
certain percentage Of younger men are
a gain for any league; but the pro-
portion of bushers required to pad out
the Fed clubs seems too great to do
more than dilute their playing
strength.
And About the Managers.
The Feds too, face the problem Of
finding eight big league managers;
Cincinnati, St Louis, Brooklyn and
other cities are willing to declare the
species is extinct All have been try
ing for several years to find one that
measured up to the mark. None has
And now comes the Federal league
with eight unOrganized teams, made
up of material whose class is alto
gether doubtful, whose men have
never before played together, expect
at one throw
It's some league that can pull this
stuff, and make good.
However, Fac, Etc.
This is by way of explaining few
1 facts about the big league or bust
proDosition- on the other hand good.
I snappy baseball, as played in the Class
Al leagues or even in lesser ones,
will be quite as interesting to the fans
and not distinguishable by them from
the major league article. If the league
gets acceptable leaders, the difference
I in quality of play would only be no
ticeable in case the Feds stacked up
: against the majors in actual contests.
x x
No Game for Hasbeens.
The fact that men generally consid-
cred past the athletic prime are the
I leaders in the game of racquets, now
attracting more than usual attention
[ locally because of the national victory
OF Wear and Davis, has brought forth
the remark: It's game for has
beenS.' "
The fact that Dwight Davis and
Wear are no longer in the hunt as
tennis stars, where they once shOne,
that G. Richmond Fearing is not even
the ghost of the sterling athlete he
. was 20 years ago as member of the
Harvard and Boston A A. terms, and
I the certainty that Larry Waterbury
s is approaching that period when it will
not libel him to refer to him as mid
I dIe-aged" has played some part in
! the deduction as to "hasbeens," etc
A Rich Mans Game.
As a matter of fact racquets, which
racquet, is a game that only well-to-dc
} men and rich clubs can afford to fOs-
! The courts cost big money, CON-
pared to tennis courts, which are with
i'm the reach of all. The balls are
! easily destroyed and two dozen or sc
4 are used in a big match. The cOndi-
ticns surrounding the game reek OF
I the need OF COlIl-LnuS eIIecLuallY put
! ting 1t out of the reach of the average
young man.
| For the average wealthy youth Il
! seems too much like work. Thus it Is
left to the mercies of the seasoned
/ old boys, who have both the spUds and
/ the spirit to keep it alive.
/ Younger men in the game NIGH
! make the pace faster; but if they die
/ they'd have to go some to surpass the
/ old stagers Of today.
/ x x
/ a Kick In the Back.
! While the major league attention
was busily focused on the attack o
| the Federals another enemy sneaket
I UP on the flank and kicked organized
! baseball savagely from behind
The kick was administered by a bill
introduced in the New York assembly
/ providing for a tax on the gross re
CENTS of the clubs of Greater New
/ York of 5 per cent per annum.
! also provides a commission and othe
/ nuisances-in the eyes of Org. Ball
At the very lowest 5 per cent woul,
amount to $4,000 per annum, whicl