The Washington herald., 1914-06-14
MAJOR LEAGUES
TO LOSE MONEY
Attendance at Games Dimin-
ishing to Half Of Last
Year.
REDLAlD IS GOOD TOWN
C;ne;nuati Draws Good Attendance
At Home Grounds and on
the Road.
REDLAD IS GOOD TOWN

New York. June lA-Grfef percoiates
within the bosoms Of the baseball mag.
mates these days a. they notice that the
turnstiies that used 10 whizz so merrily
in years gone by are growing rusty from
disuss: sorrow and anguish are their
lot when they note that instead of pack
ed stands. as in other years, their clubs
are now playing to just such a handful
Of fans. and most Of them the 8 and 50
cent patrons.
All League. suffer.
Not only have the American and Ma
tional Leagues been hard hit by the
startling apathy Of the baseball public.
but every league of any consequences
throughout the length and breadth OF the
land continues TO suffer. through the in
explicable desertion Of the army of fans.
whose contributions made millions OF
dollars for club owners In other years.
Even now when the big league clubs
are staging double-headers the fans con-
tinue In hiding. In other years the mid
week crowd in nrst-class towns seldom
dropped below 5000 for single exhibition.
while q double-header brought out some
thing like 5000 or 1900. and a Saturday
or Sunday game nearly always jammed
the park.
But In these DAYS the big league clubs
midweek combat, or 5000 while indulging
In q bargain exhibition. are the envy Of
their less fortunate brothers. In the
years gone by the magnates saw no oc-
casion for gloating until from 1900 to
q. 900 fans were jammed into their parks
on Saturdays or Sundays, but this year
they must be satisfied with crowds that
range from 1900 down to 5000 or 1900 on
the banner days.
Feds Minus Attendance.
The cause for the desertion OF the fans
this year In q mystery that probably
would bafie even Sherlock Holmes. There
is no apparent cause for the fact that
the outpouring this year Is not one-third
as large a. in other years. The crowds
haven't gone over to the Federals for
they. too, are playing to nearly empty
stands,
Earlier In the year. when the attend
ance everywhere was woefully small in
comparison to that Of 1913 many folks
rushed into view bearing some likely
sounding alibis. Some we're to the ef
feet that the weather caused II. There
seemed considerable weight to such an
argument. as the weather during April
and in the first half of May left much to
be desired.
But since the middle of Nav the
weather has been fine; Of the brand that
used to lure out even to the most re-
luctant fans In other years. But the in
creased attendance over that of the first
month has been hardly perceptble.
Another alibi was that the fans were
so interested In the doings in and around
Vera Cruz that they didn't have time TO
go to the ball parks. II was said that
they would rather stand in front of a
49, kAe Nr,,t
by-innings baseball returns and war bull
letins at the same time than spend a
couple Of hours at a ball park and see
nothing but baseball. But the Mexican
furore has died down; the bulletin boards
no longer are cluttered up with Mexican
names. Yet the fans do not go to the
parks.
Athletics Not Drawing.
The world champion Athletics, always
a great drawing card. especially in their
home city, look to lose at least 800 900
a year because OF poor attendance. and
when the team that Is regarded as the
best in the universe isn't pulling II gives
\ shivery feeling to those magnates who
own merely q mediocre aggregation that.
luring even its best years. drew only n
corporars guard Of fans.
Reds Draw Well.
However. Cincinnati. strange as 1t may
seem. is the one exception to the small
attendance rule OF this year. The Reds
20 far have drawn better, both at home
Ind abroad. than they have within the
Of the Oldest inhabitsnt. But
hats all because Charlie Herzog has
the seemingly impossible
Kept his men in the fight not only through
May but also during this month of brides,
-oses and sweet girl graduates.
But those who are keeping close tab |
N the Reds are claiming that the |
yreater portion OF the crowd that fiocks |
o see tine Cincinnati Surprises in action |
ire not real fans, but merely persons |
Who find life's greatest pleasure in orbing |
reaks in an outside of captivity. To |
hem the fact that any Cincinnati team |
ias been able to stick around among |
he select far into June time Is in the \
,ature Of q freak performance. and. be- |
ng fond of gazing on freaks, they squan-
Ter their loose silver and feast their eyes |
lpon the wild-eyed gang from the Ohio /
river section.
But in Cleveland. Charlie Somers, owner |
4 the Maps. Is lying awake nights won
ering Just how much he's going to lose |
his year In practically the same team |
hat made something like $50. 900 for him
ast year. Somers loss on the Maps alone,
nay turn up to $2oO,VOO This year unless i
he Maps. now down in the rut. can
ull themselves together and revive the
of the fans who seem to have
uit them.
The st. Louis teams are drawing even
mailer crowds than last year. Detroit
md Pittsburgh, despite the fact that they
ave played some mighty good baseball
o far this year. are not drawing Neither
re the Phillies. The Giants seem to be I
the other National League
lubs, but their attendance figures this
ear are said to be far under those for
he same period In 1873
job pson Not Drawing.
With both Boston clubs already count
d out of the races, the bean-eating fans
re keeping away from the parks that
sed to resound with their daily cheers
a other yeara The New York Yankees
rew some fair crowds earlier In the year,
ut since they've begun to skid the num-
er of fans is thinning out. It's the
anne with the Brooklyns. Even the
eerless Walter johnson cannot draw any
,izeable crowd when the Washington
lub is one part of baseball attraction,
Thile out in Chicago the White Sox are
lrawing only small crowds. and the
.ubs are playing to nearly empty stands.