Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-10-21

1t will mean much to the Nationals
next season to have Harper developed
into ifrst-class pitcher. With Roehl-
ing carded to be out, the Nationals
will need a good left-hander, and
Harper gives every promise of filling
the bill.
The Hackensack southpaw is still
mere boy, not being of age. He will
fill out and be big man in due time.
and if in the meantime he learns to
pitch he is going to be one of the best
left-handers in the league.
There have been few successful teams
in recent years which could not boast
of having a first-class left-handed
pitcher. A southpaw is Of the great
est value because of the moral impress
sion which many left-handad hitters
entertain that they cannot hit the de-
livery of a southpaw- There are some
teams which are through so lar as
a victory is concerned the moment the
name of a good left-hander is an
team.
But competent left-hander need
not be saved for left-handed hitters.
He is usually just as effective against
the right-handed clubs, though theo-
retically this is not the case. Good
left-handed batters are not bothered
any more by a sOuthpaw than are the
right-handers, and there would be abb
solutely no advantage on the part of
this kind of pitcher if the managers
would let their left-handed hitters face
the southpaw whenever the opportunity
presented itself, so that they would,
after a time, not shy a southpaws.
The failure of the Phillies and the
Boston Red Sox to get together on
the proposed trip to the Panama fair
Fra 10 hip of
base ball had promised the officials of
the fair to bring this about is very
apt to put stop to the transforming
for all time to come after the regular
season is closed.
Ban johnson, as we'll as the other
members of the national commission.
has been aroused by the failure of the
members of the two world series teams
to live UP to their agreements. and as
punishment for this it would not be
at all surprising if during the coming
winter a rule was passed prohibiting
the players from organizing teams for
any sort of exhibition game trips.
While it is of course. true that there
are some club owners in both major
leagues who will stand pat 50 far as
any overtures from the Federal League
are concerned, there are others willing
to dispose of their interests at the
right price.
Peace may come in base ball before
tions in base bali are not such that the
game furnishes good investment.
Hence it is reasonable to suppose that
in due time the business men who are
interested will get together and make
such changes as will put the game
back on a safe and sane basis.
The Federal League is worse off than
organized base ball. and II some plan
can be found by which both sides can
be satisfied and peace established 1t
would be of great help to the game and
assure its future.
When a club wins the pennant in its
own league after a close fight which
aroused a lot Of interest and then wins
the world championship title, and still
cannot boast Of having made a lot Of
money. there is something wrong with
the way the business 10 conducted.
There Is no doubt that the two
major leagues on a whole lost lot of
money during the past season This
principally because their expenses
were much higher than the gate re-
ceipts have ever justified. The base
ball war, together with other condi
tons, made the season a precarious
ono for those who have their money
invested, but II was a most profitable
- far The Dlavera were con-