South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-03-17
AME RICAN LEAGUE
FASTER OWING To
YOUNGER PLAYERS
National Owners Influenced by
Sentiment and Hang on to
Old Men Too Long, Thereby
Slowing Up Their Teams.
BY FRANK G. NIENKE.

NEW YORK, March 17.-Because
they persist in hanging on to their
veterans long after their real useful
ness is gone-that's the reason why
the National league, once the CLASH
est organization in baseball, has had
to yield first place to the American
league.
There has been no denying Of the
fact that for the past four years the
American league teams have had il
"on" their National rivals. The
American leaguers have been trium-
plant in the last four world series
com bats, and in the majority of post
season games between the Americans
and Nationals the teams of the
younger organization have been tri-
umphant. In 1913 the American
leaguers were winners in every Sc
ries in which they engaged with the
Nationals.
A glance through the baseball
records shows the reason. The
American league keeps a star player
as long as he performs in major
league style-but not one day longer.
They cut him adrift when he starts
to skid and supplant him with new
blood-bring to the fore some young
sters who soon shine just as brightly
as did the stars of old.
Sentiment i'm National.
With the National league it is diff
ferent. Sentiment seems to cause
them to keep in the regular lineup
many old stars long after they have
slowed up-long after added years
has robbed them of their former
proves and made them inferior to
the youngsters who are camping on
the benches waiting 20 break in.
Looking over the 1904 records of
the American league, and comparing
the rosters of those days with that OF
1914, shows that only five men of the
400 odd, then in that league are still
in American league harness. Those
men are: Lajoie and Turner of the
Maps; Crawford of the Tigers, ana
Bender of the Athletics.
Stoval. who joined the Maps back
in 1904. was with the St. Louis
Browns until last fall and now is with
the Federals. Harry Davis, star IN
1904, is still on the Athletic payroll,
but he plays no longer Jimmy ,,- Gai-
lahan, now manager of the White
Sox; Clark Griffith, now manager OF
the Senators and Nick AltrOck.
coacher. are the only men who play
ed in 1904 who still are drawing sal
aries from American league.
But it's a bit different on the Ma
tional league which carried-and
played regularly in 1913 nearly p
men who were in the game in 1904
and even earlier than that date In
Guided in this list are Wagner, Bres-
nahan, Ma.hewson. Ames, CamnitZ'
Huggins. Evers. Tinker, Mccormick,
Brown. Wiltse, Necdham, king ana
Mclean.
Weed Out Slipping Stars.
CHANGING over the 1909 rosters %
the American and National leagues
mil
ent ones. shows that the Nationals
stifl have nearly 70 men in their line
ups who were there In 1909 while
the Americans have only about ~.
This means that the American
leaguers have weeded out the slip
ping stars Of the other days ard that
the National leaguers have hung onto
them-and lost considerable presuge
thereby.
The result OF these conflicting poll
cies has been shown IN the inter-
league clashes in the past few years
The American league outfits. compcs-
ed mostly Of kids, have been able 10
sweep everything before them; the
National league, with its heavy mem
bership of slipping veterans, have
slowed up and have had 20 yield De
fore the onslaught Of the younger
organization.
It seems to be up 70 the National
leaguers 20 weed out the veterans
and let the bench-warning kids ooze
out into the spotlight II they want to
save themselves from slipping 70 q
minor league status when compared
with the speed boys Of the American
league. The new organization has
forged ahead so rapidly IN the past
few years, has so clearly outclassed
the Nationals, that many skeptical
fans are declaring that the Nationals
today, despite their galaxy OF stars,
no not rank superior 10 those OF the
first division teams IN the class A
minor leagues