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.

| Why are certain clubs, much infe,
| rior In playing strength to others, the
better drawing cards? Why is it that
the Philadelphia Athletics, enc Of tho
| greatest teams OF all times, should
lose money last year while other clubs
which finished several notehes lower
in the race should make money? Why
! should the Detroit team be better
drawing card than the worlds cham
pions? Such a 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 a winner, he doesnt
regard a cinch winner with high favor.
That seems to be the way the Atblet-
les appeared to the American league
fans, Philadelphia in particular. Last
season when the Athletics won some
thing like 40 cut OF 45 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 it is just as inn
portant, is the fact that the average
fan likes a team with a lot of color.
The Athletics we're one great machine.
every part working in unison, with
the least possible noise. While the
club boosted of a number of star play
ers, they were stars who confined
their brilliancy entirely to their work
en- the field. The club went on the
ball field with a 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 the Athletics
played it was pretty good. bet that
the opposing team would be beaten If
not overwhelmed, and the result would
be brought about without anything out
of the ordinary happening to iiven 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 differ
emit There was always some angle 10
dwell upon. other than the probabie
outcome of the series. There was a
chance that any number of things
might happier, = which would tend to
enliven the proceedings. regardless Of
the. outcome OF the game. Whether
it is a condition to be desired Is ques-
tionabie, but there is no denying the
fact that the average fan is often
drawn out to the game with the hope
that he will see something out Of the
ordinary, something that may not
have a direct bearing on the game.
The Detroit club seven or eight
years ago was smuggling aggregation
Fans went to the parks to see the tt
ger batsmen wallop 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 hitters,
Crawford and Cobb, still grace their
old positions in the lineup. The fans
get great deal of pleasure out OF
seeing those two star batsmen in ac-
ton. When Cobb steps to the plate
they are prepared for anything to hap
pen; nothing that he may try to do
would surprise them. They get thrill
when they see him start for a base
1t is a treat Ia see him run and slide.
The average fan always likes to see
Cobb get on, the Detroit fan in partic- |
ular. FOR when Cobb reaches first
base it makes the position of Crawford |
ell the more important Sam Craw
ford, since his advent into the majors,
has enjoyed the reputation of being1
a great hitter. A perusal of the rec
ords would show game after game |
which he has broken up with some
mighty wallop at a most opportunef
time. Crawford is the poetry of mo-
ton at the plate. His position and
swing are perfect The best compl-
ment ever heard any one pay Craw-
ford was very unusual remark made
by a Boston fan. Dutch Leonard had
in striking Sam out, only
after he had driven two long foul flies,
either of which would have broken up
the game had they fallen safe.
Paid Crawford Compliment.
Why, that fellow Crawford looks
like great hitter even when he
strikes out was the way the Bos-
tonian expressed his opinion of: the
Tiger outfielder. To me it was a big
bit of praise, for if a fellow impresses
you. as a great hitter when he strikes
out, he surely must have some style
at the plate. In years TO come the
Cobb Crawford combination will still
be talked about.
Then there Is Hughey Jennings. the
different manager. The
thing original When Jennings intro7
1ueed his new style of coaching, fea-
tured by unintelligible remarks, and
steps of a ballet dancer, the public
placed its approval by flocking tosthe
ball parks to see him perform. No
stunt introduced in baseball in years
was so widely advertised. Photogra-
piers were kept busy swapping
Hughey in new poses, while scribeS