The Washington herald., 1914-04-26
BY CHRIsTY MATHEwsoy.

Many calculations have been upset In
baseball since the season started. The
clubs that I expected to get the Jump
have fallen down. and the supposed weak
ones have come through in pretty good
shape so far. The Federal League has
also gotten away with flying colors, an
other unexpected development from my
point of view. But, after ALL the show
ing Of the first week does not amount to
much.
The new organization has made a pro-
found impression on the ball players
lately, especially since the opening of the
league in Baltimore across the street
from where the Giants were meeting the
Baltimore International Leaguers- There
was not room in the Federal Leagues
grounds for the crowd which desired to
attend, and some OF the overflow came
across the street to see the Giants
game. But all the enthusiasm was over
the rival attraction. A big holiday was
made OF the occasion in Baltimore, and
the governor of Maryland attended
Some of the members OF the New York
club expressed their surprise at the
showing. II the Feds can keep up this
sort of an attendance pace for any
length of time, they are going to con-
vince the ball players that they really
have league. Many of the stars in the
big leagues have been holding of until
the Feds got under way before believ-
ing that the new organization is liable
to stick. A lot of them will listen to
offers for next season If the present
showing holds up.
OF course, this large attendance at the
start may be simply the result of the
curiosity of the fans to see what the new
league will do, and may not be any true
indication of how far the league will go.
Almost anybody will go once to see a
new exhibit, but If the real goods are
not on display permanently, they won't
go again.
Taking FedernIs Seriously.
As 1 have said before. I don't think
that the new league has the ball players
to carry it through the season with the
necessary for success in these
days of high salaries. However, IL the
Feds make il this year il is going to be
easier for them to pick up the real stars
next winter. You would be surprised at
the sensible players in the business who
are beginning to take the Federal League !
seriously. / know of one man. who has
been on a club that has taken three |
worlds championships, who made this re-
mark to me recently:
.If the Federal League makes me an
offer next fall like the one it did last. !
I'm going to consider 1t long time. III
1 don't take it, I'll worry somebody any
way"
Even some of the Giants are wonder
ing what it is all coming to. but the
older players on the club are too loyal
to McGraw and too sure of the future
of the team to do any jumping. However,
the good start of the Federal League
has worried the club owners, because 1t
was confidently hoped by the powers in /
organized baseball that the new league
would crack as soon as II saw the light
of April sunshine. All baseball men real
lie that the new league means the ex-
pendture of a lot Of money before 1t
either cracks or is taken into organized
baseball. The players appreciate this
fact. too, and they are going to profit
by 1t, because they know that as soon
as the war is settled. the scale of salaries
is going to be badly cut.
Few Moneymakerr.
A prominent baseball magnate assured
me last week that under the new scale
Of wages only a very few clubs in organ
lied baseball have any chance of making
money this year. OF course, the Ath-
letics, the Giants. the White Sox, with
their solid Chicago patronage. and one
or two more teams which should finish
In the first division, should show a profit.
This magnate added that the club own