Omaha daily bee., 1915-11-07
Judgments

tves gathered in Chicago pre-
- paratory to departure for San
Francisco to attend the annual
convention of the National Association
of Professional Base Ball Leagues in
that city this week, It was announced
that but twenty-five minor leagues exist
in the country today as compared to
forty-seven minor leagues which existed
in the United States a year ago. Base
ball has been critically Ill for the last
two years. that is not to be denied. and
the best evidence of the fact that some
where something is radically wrong is
that the minor leagues are giving up the
ship.
Various reasons for the decline in the
support of base ball have been advanced.
1t has been asserted that Tie bad
weather has been responsible. Again 1t
is said the European war and unsettled
commercial conditions are causes. Per-
haps, but there is one cause above all
others and the magnates and players
themselves are at fault.
Even so recent as three years ago the
public believed 1t knew base ball 1t
could keep score. knew averages, could
speak intelligibly of the plays, rejoiced
when 1t discerned "bone-head,' Tore
told a hit and rum" a sacrifice bunt or
fry and patted itself on the back when
1t predicted a pitcher was slipping and
then saw that pitcher jerked an inning
later. II was all so simple and UNDER
standable and the American public pro-
nounced base ball the national pastime'
Suddenly there was a change the
scene shifted as at theatrical spec
tacle. A moment of dark stage with
clashes and rumbling OF thunder that in
dicates something doing by the villain.
When the lights flash on a moment later
groups of warning magnates and queru-
lous players begin to talk about broken
contracts, the long green, misrepreseh-
tations, broken faith, suits at law actions
and reactions. all making up dust
cloud that obscured the vision OF the
fans who loved the sport.
professional base ball became the storm
center of a volcanic disturbance Wmch
transformed the whole thing from a sport
to a commercial game; II became busl-
ness frenzy with dollar signs taking the
place of hits and errors in the averages,
ana the sport page came to resemble
financial page. The fan turned away In
disgust.
The public today knows little about the
commercial game of base ball, and ap-
parently cares less. from indications told
by the gate receipts. The game is the
same as it was in it's palmiest days. per-
haps a little better In its finesse and fin
ish. 1t is still the one distinctive Amer
lean sport; that which Americans play
better than all the rest OF the world
combined. There is no danger of the
sport retrograding. for Americans love
the sport and their interest will never
become dead.
But professional base ball has received
a black eye. Its peacocky millionaire
owners, with their base ball wrangles In
court, politics in the different leagues
and national commission, contract jump
ing by players, threats of the players
fraternity to strike, deliberate lying
embarrassing and misrepresentation by
club owners as to engagements and trans
fer of players. Quarrels over territory
the injection OF a lot OF money-seekins
men into the game. a third league to
disturb the harmony that existed for q
score OF years, all have helped to give
the sport a black eye. and the men In
the professional game, men like Carry
Hermann, Governor Tener and Bar
johnson, who are trying to prescribe fol
it's ailments, must eliminate commercial
ism II they intend to restore professional
ball to its original popularity.
Further proof that the American pub
lie still retains its love for base ball II
the attention given amateur base ball A
crowd OF 10000 persons saw the Omaha
Luxus play in Cleveland against the
sixth city champions on October 10. How
many persons attend the games at the
Cleveland American league park? A mea
ger few compared to that crowd which
attended the amateur game. In omahS
dozens Of amateur ball teams play ever
Saturday and Sunday. and every one o.
the games played is we'll attended. ANA
teur base ball is attracting the fan whit
used to follow the professional game. ant
the amateur brand will continue to max,
gains in popularity while the professiona
game loses as long as magnates and play
srs maintain their present tendencies.
From the mixup In the Big Nine con
ference It looks very much as If western
foot ball followers will have to turn I,
Nebraska this year If they hope TO fint
a team with clear bid for the western
championship.
Well, now that Brown has given Waite
Camps pride and Joy its weekly trounc
ing, We presume Tom Shevlin will b
given the gate by the peevish Capital
Wilson.
Who Is your choice for Al-Americal
endG Chamberlain That makes It unan
nous.
Poor Tommy Mills. With Notre Dam
and South Dakota yet to come.