The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-06-05


a million scores if we can just win
every other day in the week.
| The Omahogs made more runs in
Fridays game than the SavageS did
| in all three of the preceding ones, but
they couldn't trade results with us.
There are many unfortunate things
in this old world. Two of Omaha s
best batterS are Kafora and Kruger.
| But they are both catchers and one
has to sit on the bench when the 9TH
er is playing.
This afternoon the first game of a
foursome with the Sioux City Indians
will be staged. The Savages hope to
make it four straight against them
and thereby climb to the top.
There were just about as many peo-
pie at all four of the Omaha games as
there should have been at one. And
there is talk of the leagues blowing
up because of poor attendance. Evil
IDENTIFY a great many fans are say
ing, '1et her blow"
It has been suggested by C. D. Jor-
dan that one way Topeka can give the
team better support is for every fan
to resolve to see at least one game of
every series that is played at home. OF
course, there are a great many fans
who never miss a game, and these
resolutions.
But, speaking of the possibilities of
the leagues blowing up unless the
players submit to a cut in salary, this
column would like to go on record as
predicting that it will take more than
this to deliver a Knockout blow to the
old circuit.
In the first place, if it is in danger
Of 1ar-
Granting that every player on every
team were willing to have $50 a month
trimmed from his pay check, each club
would only save $40 on the remain
der of the season. And $S40 won't
save or sink a ball club when strung
out over a whole three months
In the second place, the suspension
of the league would give baseball a
blacker eye in this part of the coun-
try than anything else possibly could.
1t would be an admission that the
public is no longer interested in the
game. 1t would brand the club own
erS as cutters. And last but not
least, it would force the present fol-
lowers of the game to turn their at
tention to other forms of recreation,
and it would take years to build up
the patronage that would be lost by
a three months lay off.
Primarily, baseball is a sport All
sport is QUILT upon the element of
chance that is in it. Therefore, when
man invests his money in base
ball club he must expect to take a
chance. And when he has bad year,
it is up to him to make the hest of
it and do as little following rs posi-
BILE. Even the most conservative
business enterprises have to weather
through squally periods. And few of
them find it profitable to shut up
shop entirely every time a dull period
strikes them. The magnates of the
Western league cannot do themselves
greater injury than by continuing
to hollow hard times, and then show
ing the feather of cheap sport by
hanging the closed sign over their
park gates.
However, it might be a wise and
proper thing to cut the salaries of
the players by degrees, and if the
magnates are carrying bigger load
than they can walk under, then the
players ought to be willing to help
them, if from no other than d selfish
standpoint. There seems to be no
question that the league is, and has
for some time been operating on a
false basis. Nobody seems to remem-
Der just when a majority of the clubs
in the league made money. The rule
seems to be that the few that are
scrambliag for first and second place
1oora I1<a~ -