New-York tribune., 1915-03-28
By JOHNNY EVERS.
Captain of the Boston Braves.

studied the different upbuildlng treat
ments as administered by various busi-
nesses until one day IL happened to
glance through the sporting columns OF
daily news paper, and therein u found
q business opportunity -lust the thing
guaranteed 20 increase the weight by
thousands Of dollars.
1t was M the early autumn. and the
story told how forty thousand persons
had crowded a bail park watching two
teams in worlds series game. II eN-
blamed al length how thousands more
had clamored outside the gates, but
had to be denied admission. at was
more than "a capacity crowd sand the
story. "The concrete walls OF the
stadium seemed to bulge with sardln-
zed humanity"
THAT looks Ike the best treatment
have seen" unused the Bank Roll.
Eventually il took course in financial
success by buying baseball club.
Il so happened that the club which
the Bank Roll purchased was not
championship combination by i've or
six positions Il was well down IN the
second division But It also happened
that II was a championship club N the
embryo. IL boastcd a wise. manager
and young ard peppery players o.
ability.
The following spring found il greatly
improved. BY midsummer it had gained
,hc highway Of success and was rush
ing almost pell nell toward the coveted
cb9mpionship. Thousands paid their
respects daily and left behind them
iingling gold in the Golfers Of the
Bank Roll. With each click of the un-
firing turnstiles the Bank Rolls girth
increased. Truly, il had selected the
right treatment.
Business AcUmen as Friend.
The Bank Roll had friend named
Business Acumen. They we're inSepera-
ble. Wherever the Bank Roll went
Business Acumen went, too. Flnaily
rhe Bank Roll sold half OF ITS stock 20
It's friend, with the result that ne BANK
Roll and Business Acumen had many
conferences. They decided that they
could make even more money out OF
.beir investment than was crowdlng It's
vav into their pocket by applying
strictly business methods to baseball.
Together they left the business once
If the club and trod. phantom-hke, out
upon the diamond. For long they )Per-
ar, d from that position. Together they
managed the players, caught behind the
hat did the pitching and played all OF
the other positions. They made changes
here and changes there, because they
believed that they might sell the pubic
less expensive baseball and stu secure
the same big returns, ana mus ma.
teriallv increase the golden now OF
profit.
ione,er a championship ose. 1t began
shining backward. Ere long the pub
lie "tumbled." The turnstiles became
less active and the money that was be-
ing saved in less expensive Dall was
lost. in much greater measure, IN de-
creased patronage.
business Acumen and the Bank Roll,
blinded by the glare of prosperity and
deafened by the roar Of rushing rapids
of money into their ticket po0ths,
learned a new lesson IN baseball. lhey
we're taught that they had place lh
baseball, but that that place was oarIeu
from the playing field by an lnsur-
mountable barrier, the greatest asset
the game has, its guiding hand ano
and popular opinion.
No Fiction Here.
This story is not the outpourlng OF
f,tion pen. II is built upon founda-
ZION Of fact. and the superstructure is
made Of the same material. II Is not
necessary for me TO mention the name
of the club ] have selected as an eX-
ample Of what the title OF this artcle
Baseball as d Business versus baSeDalt
AS a Sport" means. Its history is ol
TOO recent date for It TO need TURNER
introduction. And nothing could serve
better TO prove that the business end
of baseball must be kept far removed
from baseball the sport.
once heard this condition apply de-
scribed by that real sportsman, Charles
Cemiskey, owner OF the Chicago Whlte
Soy He said: Business ami t9seball
must he associated for the preServa-
lion Of the game, but they mast never
berome nails" In other words, they
are and must be conducted as two
aepsrate and distinct department.. ne
plavers' gate that leads from 'he cluo-
house TO the field is where the DARK
roll and business acumen INST stop
while the sport goes on the he'd'
Never was this more forclbly "roven
TO me than while ! was manaSCr OF we
chicago Cubs. I was employed not 10
count the number of persons VINO ~
tended the games, but TO maf"Pe 'nc
players and &c give the Chicago lSrS .s
a cbampionship team II | POSSIBLY
copld IL nv ankle had not been fet.
tered with the iron ball and chain OF
business. as Il concerned the box ONCE
I might have succeeded.
Here Is a nttle insight into what l
was I'D against. When Charley Murphy
signed me as a player and m tnaFer or
the Chicago Cubs to q ive-7ear con
troct the late William Locke formerly
secretary Of the Pittsburgh club and
later president OF the Philadelphia Ma
tional League club, was called Upon 70
witness the transaction.
was very much pleased with the
contract. and did not think II ncces-
sary 90 take copy OF 1t 70 nv lawyer
20 have him anslyze it for traps and
laws. ! did not even read It over at
the time. but signed.
Contract with a Trap Door.
heard afte ward that when | left
the office Murphy turned to Locke ana
explained that my contract contained
iran door which he could open at any
lime and let me out without any re-
dress. ! know that Locke did not know
this before I signed or he would have
tbis before ! signed or he never would
have acted as q party 70 such a deal
He left Murphy's Office indignant TO
tbiuk that Murphy had called upon hlm
10 witness any such TRANSACTION ne
called upon Ban Johnson, president OF
the American League, that day. II was
lust a social call, but during their con
versation Locke said 10 Johnson
"'Ban,' was called upon TO fl'ness
one Of the most unfair transactions !
have ever heard Of" and then he told
Johnson about my contract.
Several times while ! was manager
Of the Cubs .durphy called me int his