Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1915-10-17
Judgments

~ NE outstanding feature of the
Worlds series Is the emphasis
it puts on the condition of the
poor wage slaves. who are COM
PEELED to play base ball for a
living. to do their masters bidding,
and to be satisfied with the pitance
he allows them. Driven from pillar
to post. at the within of a hcartless
owner. for these poor fellows are actually
owner, with no voice in the matter. one
shudders in contemplation of their stu
alton. Just think of it: Only s144. 800 SO
TO be divided between the two teams.
and they had tn play five games of base
ball for it, the longest one lasting an
hour and a ha.f. On the ba is of the
6O-40 split, the Red Sox get but 1858 70,
while the Philles, being the losers, have
10 put up with a m SCRABBLE pl lance of
S57, $500. Each team was permitted to
have twenty-five players among whom
this miserly amount is to be shared. So,
you see, the Boston players get but
$S,951.S0 apiece, and the poor Phillies, still
being losers, have to content themselves
with S2,634.50. Then, to sh how nfair
the proposition is, of the men who might
have been called upon to ia p-rt in
the contests, the Bostons used but seven
teen, while the Phillies put in only six
teen, thus forcing five of the miserable
helots on the one side to sit still and
draw almost $500 a day for doing thing,
while six OF them sat equally quiet and
were compelled to be sat SIZED with 52o
per day each. Is there any justi left
in base ball?
Then, Just as an example of how the
players are treated by their crafty, grasp
ing owners, look at Bert Niehoff. His
case may not be exactly typical, but It
will serve as an illustration and will be
more appreciated because of it's local APP
plication. Three years ago Bert Niehoff
was the bond slave of w. A. Rourke,
who is also called Pa Everybody knows
Pa for a tony-hearted, grasping cuss,
who never did ball player a good turn
in his life. Niehoff toiled around third
base as long as two hours every bright,
sunny afternoon through the summer, and
only got $50 a week for 1t. His proud
soul revolted at his treatment and he re-
solved to be free. So, when he thought
1t all over during the winter. he told Pa
that he would not come back to Omaha.
=, Pa is not altogether free agent, either,
being held in something like bondage by
the National association, and this or
ganizatlon had ordained that players like
Bert Niehoff could not be given more
than $50 week for their hard work In
the Western league. What did Pa do?
He had contract with Niehoff. which
held him In servitude and which would
prevent his working at his sturdy trade
of third-basing unless Pa gave consent.
When Niehoff delivered his ultimatum,
this hard-hearted Western league mag
nate said: IAN right, Bert; you're worth
a lot more money than l can pay you. II
you can get Job with big league team,
let me know and I'll give you your re-
lease, and 1t won't cost you a cent" So
Niehoff went to Cincinnati and played
third base there all summer and dragged
down about s125 a week, and when Her
Eog came to manage the team. he couldn't
see Niehoof with microscope and turned
him over to Pat Moran who added him, to
his collection of junk. and Bert helped
win the championship of the National
league and made q mighty fine showing
In the worlds series. and gets a $500
bonus this year, just because Pa Rourke
couldn't pay him over $50 a week, and so
gave him hts release Is il any wonder
ball players complain Of the unfair treat
ment they receive?
Another feature of the series is that the
dope went through. From one coast to
another the verdict is the better team
won. No one Is offering excuses or
alibis. no matter how much they might
have longed for another result. II was
clean and honest too good base ball from
first to last every game fought hard
and no sign Of weakening anywhere by
either team, and that's why base ball is
so popular.
Ducky Holmes threatens to break into
the Western. This ought to awaken pub
lie intareat In the affaira Of the loon.