The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1914-12-05
with Johnson Signed. War Sit
uation Will Not Materially
Change Until Spring
MAGNATES' SQUABBLES
WILL COUNT FOR LITTLE
Question If Drawing Power Of
Big Hurler viii Justify His
New Salary
BY HAROLD Y. WILCOX.

II now looks as II the Bederals
pulled a ninth-inning rally when they
signed Walter Johnson and forced
the baseball war into extra innings.
IL also seems probable that they nave
reached their limit and are likely 10
crack under the strain long before
there "a a chance for hostiliues 10 Dc
called Off an occount OF darkness, but
that Is for the future 10 reveal, IL Is
still the year 1914. notorious Tor ire
.mendous upsets OF dope, and all pre-
diotions are out Of order.
There Is now only one answer TO
the whole situation. and that Is
matter Of psychology. The Federals
have evidently decided that they have
lost too many blue chips already 10
Quit the game at present, and have
stalfed their whole pile on the for
tune of another season II Is no limit
session that The ball magnates are
now engaged In, despite the asser-
lions a week ago that table stakes had
been put under the ban and that both
organised ball and the outlaws we're
going 10 fight II out With q sane and
safe limit. ....
The fate Of baseball now rssts en-
tirely with the dear public The
league that gets the gate receipts
wins. with Walter Johnson and his
fellow hurdlers, the outlaws believe
themselves due to play TO packed
Rrandstands. Organized baseball pro-
fesses to believe that II viii hold It's
old following, even without Johnson
ct al, and by a superior brand OF
allaround ball, leave the Gilmore cir
cuff with no more patronage than IL
had last year. That result would, or
course. ring down the curtain on the
Feds.
But II fs a matter for the fans TO
decide, and they will not get into 40
ton until the season opens In April.
There Is little that any OF the mag.
mates can do. beyond the trading and
signing Of players. between now and
then that will change the situation as
II now stands. and further signing and
swapping OF players will not have any
great effect until the season Is well
under way.
II would be a crime TO predict what
the fans will do next summer. II Is
true that there is little reason TO be-
heve that the quality of ball in the
Fed circuit will improve sufficiently
10 appeal to the old guard IN the way
that the organized major league game
will. But the public il tickle thing
It's as wild In sport as Il IL In poll
tics. Its psychology is amazing, and
maybe the Feds know what they are
doing. At any rate, thereT be moth
ing doing now In the baseball war ex-
cept hot air until the turnstiles begin
to click. or fail to click, next sum-
mer.
Meanwhile, of course. goodly por-
ton OF the magnates win take II upon
themselves to continue to grandstand.
Gov. Tener will have to inject him
self formally into the National league
with display of fireworks. Ban John
son will continue to below and make
contemptuous comment on the things
that do not please him. and President
Gilmore cannot be expected to cease
to predict that the Feds will kidnap
every player Of fame and invade New
York. Cleveland. Philadelphia, Wash
fngton, Saginaw. Cadillac and, per
haps, Windsor and Belgium, before
spring. These three presidents will
be very much in the ilmelight during
the remainder OF the Hot Stove league
season. They may even win some
fAme as strategists and heroes OF tic-
ton. But the fact will remain that
With the signing or Walt Johnson, the
Veds have sent the war into extra
Innings, that the likelihood OF peace
or immediate collapse Is past, and
that the present situation will con-
tinue to be the baseball situation IN
I'll the season starts and the fans
themselves decree the future OF the
third major circuit
During the lulls In the lombard
msnt Of the dreadnaught Jim Gilmore
,ty the battleships Gar Bancroft John
SON and John X. Tener, the most In
teresting bit of Hot Stove league fan
fodder VIII be the question Of wheth-
er Walter johnson Is worth his new
salary, whatever that Is. Walt Is ad-
mittedly merely a Fed box Office as
set. He was hired for the shekels he
Is expected TO garner for the mag
notes, not for the games he VIII win.
~ Cobb Ia admittedly the best
drawing card In baseball. The fans
have delighted to watch Johnson
speed EN- over the plate sizzling hot.
but they have always raved when
Tyrus banged q warm one 10 the
fence, stole couple OF bases, and
went home on pop fly TO shortstop.
Tyrus also Is supposed to play every
day. johnson will not average more
than one game series this summer.
The Georgia Peach is getting about
the same salary as Johnson will draw.
Cobb is getting all that he is worth.
TO man up the tree, II looks as II
Ban Johnson's casual comment that
the Feds had a costly luxury IN
johnson Is based on something be-
sides Imagination. But that, again.
Is for the fans to say when dog days
roll around.
Branch Hickey is stealing some OF
Hughey jennings stun. Last year
the Tiger pitching STAFF was heralded