The Detroit times., 1915-02-15
osicans Desert Ball Parks to
Get Into sAthIeties Them
selves
. IVA ~ IN v, flt " setss hfs4 ~ .saA
Growth OF GOLF AND
TENNIS PROVE THIS
National Game, However. win
Continue Popular Enough to
Keep Going
BY HAROLD Y, WILCOX.

II IL not so much the baseball .xar,
- red-blooded Americanism that viii
cut In on the gate receipts Of profess
/ sional baseball next season. The fans
have Attle use for the souabbling Of
magnates and players during the Off
season, but the dark brown taste OF
the morning after does not last for
X ever. and an early-season plunge into
. tight pennant race will soon bring
the boys back 20 the <bleachers--that
\ -. those who would have frequentel
The ball parks had there been no war.
The real trouble with professional
6aooball now, rs regards the box OF
ace. y that It has served It's real mis-
,oion too we'll for its own good. Thous-
onde upon thousands OF Americans
have year after year poured into the
great concrete baseball stands, just
- "a the fall they have thronged col,
|. xogo stadiums 20 see commercial
11ed" football, and now they are get
ting tired or seeing the other fellow
have Ill the fun.
The games they have seen have
Dleased them nightly and instillsd
a The spectators love OF sport that
makes them want to get into the
Enmo themselves. The American fan
- Icos than ever In sympathy with
0xot baseball game. expressed amaze
>nont that the puthelders should
|c1oge balls themselves when they
could easily employ servants for that
\ one thousand new golf clubs en-
rolled In the national organization
during the past year. and tennis
showed . similar increase. Amateur
booebAll In enjoying Q wonderful re-
y1val Hockey, basketball. handball
md motoring were never 30 popular
~ now. md revival Of boxing and
hcgneracing Il upon us. Professional
Goooball has played large part In
4 MAILING IN nation Of athletes. and IL
must now pay the penalty. The box
8oulce6 are losing berause Americans
:: oro preferring to play 10 watching
somebody else DO II for them. This
1ow attftude u reflected IN the col
1eees where from so to 80 per cent Of
5 ~ etudents are now reported as par.
y ticiDofing In some sort Of athletics.
nut obituary notices are not yet In
cr1er Tor professional baseball. The
minor leagues are certain to suffer
|noxt season because the subsidies
<1oy have been receiving from the
xS41ors will be vigorously slashed.
~ day Of extravAgant management
~ the majors seems to be near an
"a. but that matter viii adjust II.
y ~ n = few years when each minor
E<oom VIII present the class to which
ND support. and not some organization
|h|1hor up, entitles it TO.
"a Meanwhile . tight pennant race and
nv thrill OF the national game a.
1ayod ~ IT. experts viii continue
~ draw big crowds. The fans whose
1(oeost Ia sport has developed into
e 0ooiro TO participate themselves
Nm not Be out to the parks 20 often.
NJ there win be biz enough crowds
ut olten enough to support the game
nn1or the era OF economical man
= romouf which seams just aheAd.
oroover, the athletic wAyo that 10
Z nuooptnH the nation - likely to -
ro11 A 3 larger number Of oocnsicnal
'X lors % tho ball parks than ever
$3.50 and help q o9set tho partial
oooft1c8 of the steGdy ''bugs."
EnoGhon has tAught its patrons 20
|Io1u sDo{t too wsIl Tor tn own good,
IN ~ some years. ct least, y Il. not
lIto1y - 10 the BONANZA that u once
|0Tno. Hut with the reign OF the Ath-
Iok1os ~ the American league seem
[n01y ct m end. and the National
Ic6Guo race once more 3 free-forall.
|<n6UGh interest win remain to keep
~ Gn6ne on it, feet. And the war
NM make little difference either way,
o1o TIE playing season IL here.
z Az ~ * IL .e1. ---