Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1915-02-15
winners NOT
ALWAYS GREAT
DRAWING CARDS
Fans Like Dash of Tobasco
With Their Baseball Diet,
Says Veteran Umpire
By BILLY EVANS.

better drawing cards! Why Is IL Iliai
the Philadelphia Athletics, enc of the
/ greatest teams of all times, should
] lose money last year while other clubs
J which finished several notches lower
in the race should make money? Why
should the Detroit team be better
drawing card than the worlds cham
pions? Such condition existed IN
the American league last season.
| Perhaps the first reason that should
be advanced is that the Athletics out
classed the field Much as the base
ball fan loves winner, he doesn,
regard a cinch winner with high favor.
That seems to be the way the Athlet-
les appeared to the American league
| fans, Philadelphia In particular. Last
season when the Athletics won some
thing like 40 out Of IS games in a
stretch, the attendance at Shibe park
was very ordinary. Fifteen hundred
fans would perhaps be a conservative
estimate of some of the crowds that
turned cut to see the champions while
on that mad winning streak, which
really decided the pennant race.
The next reason that might be adj
vanced, and probably 1t is just as Inn
portant, is the fact that the average
| fan likes a team with a lot Of color.
The Athletics were one great machine,
every part working In unison, with
the least possible noise. While the
club boasted Of a number Of star play
ers, they were stars who confined
their brilliancy entirely to their work
on the field. The club went on the
ball field with set purpose, that OF
winning, and, in majority OF cases,
succeeded in so doing. The intention
was simply to win with the least pos
sible show, for the Athletics are any
thing but grandstand players. Fans
got to feel that when tie Athletics
played IL was a pretty good bet that
the opposing team would be beaten Il
not overwhelmed, and the result would
be bfrngllt about without anything out
or the ordinary happening to liven up
the proceedings.
Fans Prefer Close Contest.
When the Philadelphia club was
the attraction there was little to say
in advance Of the meeting. except
that the home team seemed to be in
for good trounding When other
teams appeared It was entirely diher-
ent. There was always some angle to-
dwell upon, other than the proOaDls
outcome of the series. There was q
chance that any number OF things
might happen. which would tend TO
enliven the proceedings, regardless OF
the outcome of the game. Whether
1t IS q condition to be desired Is cues
ticnable, but there is no denying the
fact that the average fan Is often
drawn out to the game with the nope
that he viii see something out OF the
ordinary. something that may not
have direct bearing on the game.
The Detroit club seven or eight
years ago was smuggling aggrega1on.
Fans went to the parks TO see the II
ger batsmen wailop the opposing
pitcher. While the club no longer
boasts the old time hitting strength,
the past reputation still lives, perhaps
because two OF the leading hltters,
Crawford and Cobb. still grace tnelr
old positions In the lineup. The rams
get great deal OF pleasure out OF
s'>->|---e r-->s.s>@ =
ton. When Cobb steps to the plate
they are prepared for anything to hap
pen; nothing, that he may try TO 90
would surprise them. They get thrill
when they see him start for g base.
It is q treat Ia see him run and slide.
The average fan always likes 70 see
Cobb get on, the Detroit ian IN paTtic-
ular. For when Cobb reaches first
base it makes the position OF Crawford
all the more important Sam CraW-
ford, since his advent into the majors,
has enjoyed the reputation OF being
q great hitter. A perusal OF the rec
ords would show game after game
which he has broken up with some
mighty waiiop at most opportune
time Crawford is. the poetry Of mo-
ton at the plate. His position and
swing are perfect The best compli-
ment ! ever heard any one pay Craw-
ford was very unusual remark made
NV q Rrcfov, fan sTlufeh Ip0Rard had