Imperial Valley press., 1914-03-21
Baseball of Today
By Hal Sheridan
written for the United Press)

New York, March 21.-Now comes
the swing into the stretch for the
Winter League. With the first games
of the regular season less than
month away, box scores, hits, errors
and cries of "bonehead" and other ap-
pelations dear to the heart of the
American, but now demonstrated as
thoroughly beyond the grasp of the
English, will take the place of large
gobs of conversation.
This is the golden age for the ball
players. With the Federal league kick
ing in and exhibiting young mints to
players in return for their consider
alton of contracts salaries have scaled
to heights that would make bank pres
idents, cabinet officers and corporation
heads stagger bit. The $4,000 wad
to be presented to iris Speaker for
two years wark tops the heap, and
organized baseball has gone down in
it's pockets to the extent of many more
thousands in increased salaries.
President Ebbets of Brooklyn is
said to have signed Dick Egan at $17,-
900 for three years. And Egan is not
a star by mile. A $50 batter at best
and nothing fashy as an infielder, the
former Cincinnati Red will receive
more money from Brooklyn that he
ever received before. in the wild
scramble to prevent the Federals from
signing men false values have been
set up.
The stove league session just clos
ing, one Of the widest in history, is
not fash in the pan. Whether the
Federal organization becomes a real
third major league or expires, the
seed for the re-jiggering of many
angles to the national pastime has
been planted. Whether the Feds be-
come a real major league this year or
the next, or some other league as
sumes this proud position, doesn't
matter in the broad sense of things,
but there will be a third major
league. Organized baseball believes
that. Magnates have had vague
feeling for some time that the way
was opening up for another big cir
cult. The sudden plunge the Feds
took headed them off for the time
being.
h.
might be held responsible for the pres
ent position of baseball, President Eb-
bets of Brooklyn, recently stepped for
ward with the declaration that the
'Three P's" had made the game what !
it is today.
"The Players, the Public and the
Press" was the way Ebbets awarded
the honors.
The players have reached dizzy
height. When the sun shines again
and the call comes old Mr.. Public
probably will be found in his accus-
toned place roasting, roofing and
roaring as of old, but in the new or
der of things organized baseball will
not be taking any chances. The lavish
expenditure of money in raising sala-
ries was caused by the realization that
the public would follow the star play
ers and not the star magnates. The
desire is for good baseball and not to /
sit by while club owners and the |
swivel chair element play politics and
wash dirty linen.
President Tener is going to run the
National league. That idea may be
riveted in your fedora. Starting with
the elimination of Murphy the gov
ernor began backing the league goat
into corner. When he said he would
do all the talking for the league he
meant it, and if you will go to some
quiet spot where the choos grow you
will find it entirely devoid of remarks I
made by club owners since Tener took
office. This means the banishment of
politics and it's immediate consequence
-arousal of disgust on the part of
Mr.. Public.
The changed policies within the
league are in force right now, but the
possibilities of further upheavals may
aid in filing up padded cells if con-
sidered at too great length. Baseball
salaries won't be boosted forever.
Some day when some centerfielder or
shortstop gets to drawing as much
as the president Of the United States