Omaha daily bee., 1915-06-20
Judgments


now and then, when he gets to
talking. but the magnates can't run any
bluffs on him. Hughey Jones. leader Of
the Lincoins broke out with a suEges-
ton that President Tips" pay be cut in
two, Just a. he had proposed TO do 10
the players. And right back comes Tip,
just az quick. and says they can cut his
pay In two. or they can take all OF IL;
he doesn't need the money. and Is willing
to work on the Job this season for fun,
II It will only keep the league together.
That's the proper spirit, and puts it UP
TO the league. right flat. And AZ that,
some OF the Western magnates wonder
" Il wouldn't be economy 20 do so. Tip
has been a good president In some ways,
and in others he has looked like he
wasn't president at all. But he has 1t on
15ughey Jones, all right, when he says
at one time the league was using $1,000
Of his money, for that was when Jones
became owner OF the Lincoln team. The
affairs Of that club had been left in
badly muddled condition by its previous
owner. and Jimmy McGill, the million
aire impressario of Denver was not doing
very much TO help straighten them out;
II was then Tip came to the front and
put up $4,000 In regular money TO save
lincoln and hold the league together.
Some will be mean enough 20 say that II
wasn't Tips own money, but they can't
prove that. and Tip says It was. At all
events, ne put Il up. he saved the Lincoln
team and put Hughey Jones on the map
as an owner. SO II doesn't come with
very good grace from the Lincoln mag
nato TO he throwing any insinuatons at
;hc president on the financial question.
This little dispute is beside the ques-
tion. When O'Neill made his suggestion
that salaries be reduced in order that
the playing season OF the Western might
be completed without disaster TO tho
owners. he was acting in good faith, IL
he didn't show the best Of judgment He
simply voiced thought that has been
uppormost in the minds OF Western
league owners for several seasons. They
) have felt that salaries in the Western
are too high. but have been forced to
pay players demands In order to get
them. The question ia one OF simple
arithmetic. Jack Holland made IT plain
in his statement. published last week.
that under the best OF conditions the
Western league owner stands very little
chance of making money, unless he is
able to dispose OF one or more players at
a good price at the end OF the season,
for all the ordinary revenue Of the game
IL absorbed in meeting running expenses
This condition Is made more serious by
the unusual weather conditions this
season, which have practically wiped
cut the first two months of activity,
without reducing expenses. From the
first of the season until the present
games have been interfered with by
rain. and not one club has so far taken
In enough money to pay half it's expenses.
The owners have already pocketed q
loss that would justify them in closing up
for the season. but they are hanging on.
hoping against hope that the rain is 10
end some day, and that during July and
August they can get back little of
the good money they are now sending
after bad. It isn't at all likely that the
the matter OF that, win be cut In two,
the matter of that, will be cut on two,
or that the Western league will close
before its playing schedule Is complete,
but the owners are facing a season, not
only of no profit. but OF certai1 loss,
and this fact ought to be kept In mind
by the public when discussing the league
and its doings.
Michigan took rather vigorous action
in dealing with some OF its athletes who
played summer base ball, but its
course will be upheld by all who have
given the matter real thought. 1t Is
still impossible for a college player to be
professional during the base ball sea-
son and an amateur the rest of the year,
and the young men should be made TO
realize that fact.
u wasn't enough that Bert Grover
should win a game from Omaha by the
only three-base hit he ever knocked bu,
here comes a Lincoln pitcher ard poles
his only honae run. and beats the Rourkes
again by u single tally II certainly
seems as II hard luck were camping on
the trail of our boys.
Pa Rourke Is finding plenty Of ocea.
sion for the exercise Of ali his philosophy
these days He's got everything that is
needed for successful season except a
good right hand pitcher and some sun
shine. and neither of these will. come
his way.
Last week was without sensation m
any Of the big leagues. showing that az
the race for leadership warns up, the
chickering's OF the managers ana owner,
are forgotten, even by themselves
This will be the week when the eolleg,
crews will settle supremacy on the watel
for another season. and then we can set
tie back to the regular program Of ho
weather sports.
les Mann is Swing Benhie Kauff {
run for honors in the Fed league. and I
may yet came that the title OF 'ary Cobl
IT. Will change hands.
One thing this rainy spell is doing
it's making plenty OF work for Brothe
Dawes lawnmower
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