New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-08-22
DIME BASEBALL
WILL SAVE THE
GAME, SAYS WARD
Building Laws, Not Senti-
ment, Behind O. B.
improvements.

Insisting that organized baseball as
whole is losing and the Federal
League gaining supporters under dime
bleachers and other cut prices, Robert
Is. Ward, vice-president Of the league
and owner of the Tip Tops, said yes
terday that the baseball war had
worked itself from a complex problem
into one Of simple arithmetic. From
three to four times as many fans have
patronized Federal League games un-
der the new scale of prices than for
merly," explained Mr.. Ward, land, be-
sides failing to attract any new sup
porters, organized baseball has been
forced to see its old clientele gradually
drifting away"
Because of the dissolution of the
Marsans injunction and the Federal
League victory permitting that player
to resume an active career with the st.
Louis team Mr.. Ward was hopeful re-
gardng the outcome of other court
cases now pending. Better than any
other indication as to the outcome Of
this war is the widespread interest in
popular priced baseball" continued Mr..
Ward.
When his attention was called TO
some record crowds gathered under rs
cent grandstand and the old scale of
prices Mr.. Ward brought out the point
that advocates of the dime bleachers
had never contended that big crowds in
some certain cities could not be at
tracted under the old tariff. an Kan
sas City, where a winning team and
local business conditions have brought
about unusual prosperity, the Federal
League Park was filled to capacity on
at least two days of the week, with big
crowds recorded at all other times this
season. 1t was for the good of baseball
and the Federal League as a whole that
the dime bleachers were introduced
he said
"The only agitation against dime
bleachers has been by those who raise
the false cry of cheapening the game
and have tried by linking vague hints
of reduced salaries for players TO work
up sentimental opposition to the prof.
ect. The widespread interest in major
league baseball was not built up on 75-
cent grandstand seats. Having once be-
come deeply interested in the game un
der % and so cent grsndstands, it was
comparatively easy to hold the true
fan even with increased prices, because
there was no major league opposition.
A canvass of spectators at any of the
parks would reveal a surprisingly small
number of persons witnessing a game
for the first time. This held true until
dime bleachers, quarter seats IN the
covered stands and the halfdollar
grandstands were introduced in the
Federal League.
For years the leaders in organized
baseball played on the same instru-
ments TO make music in the box office.
Some Of the fans wore out. others
were prevented from maintaining their
warmth in support of baseball by bust
ness conditions, and at least 20 per cent
simply walked out Absolutely nothing
was ever done to buid Up new eli
entele for baseball or regain the pa
tronage of the fans who had been
driven away by high prices.
I'm refutation of the above, organ
lied baseball points to fine grandstands
and stadiums. These aids TO the COM
forts of the fans were built without
much of the sentiment inspiring them
that had been credited to the builders.
Cold. practical business and the build
ing laws were behind these great
structures. 1t was necessary 70 have
larger stands because of the hoped for
continuation or increasing business,
and municipal regulations influenced
the decision as 10 whether the pro-
moter would construct his monument
to the fans out of wood or steel and
concrete.
The quality of the game was not
improved nor was any means ever de-
vised whereby the popularization of
baseball was seriously attempted. With
out opposition il seemed a positive
certainty that enough supporters could
be held and old ones aroused on spe-
cial occasions to keep the game on A
profitable basis. This theory worked
out we'll until the Federal League came
into existence. other forms OF recre-
alton. chiefly by reason of the more
moderate cash expenditures involved,
gained a grip on the fans. and finally
general economic conditions made j.
apparent that something should be
done to make il possible for the fans
to get their baseball at the parks in
stead of through the newspapers and
tanning bees" concluded Mr. Ward.