Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1915-04-10
JOHNNY EVERS RECITES FABLE
Of THE BANK ROLL AND SPORT

not necessary for me to mention the
name of the club have selected as
an example of what the title OF this
article, baseball as "a business versus
Baseball as a Sport, means. Its his.
tory is Of too recent date for it to
need further Introduction. And moth
ing could serve better to prove that
the business end of baseball must he
kept far removed from baseball the
sport. -.
Comiskey's Fine Distinction.
| once heard this condition apply de-
scribed by that re l sport, Charles Co
miskey, owner of the Chicago White
SoN He said: "Business and base
ball must he associated for the pres,
ervation of the game. but they must
never become pals In other words
they are and must be conducted as
two separate and distinct departments,
The players g te that leads from the
clubhouse to the field is where the
bank r3ll and business acumen must
STOP while the sport goes on the field.
Never was this more forcibly proven
to me than while | was manager Of the
4 \
count the number Of persons who at
tended the games, but to manage the
Layers and to give the Chicago fans
4 championship team if | possibly
could If my ankle had not been fet
tered with the iron ball and chain of
business as it concerned the box Of
fee, | might have succeeded.
The fact that there are few club
owners who are guided solely by bus
mess acumen and the bank roll is
proven by the favor the game enjoys
by the character Of the nationol pas
time. Had the men behind it always
given the business end the preference
over the game as a sport, it never
would have succeeded. 1t would have
died. as any club is bound to die that
is conducted along such lines. Base.
ball must necessarily be- a sport first
and a business aftrrWard to be Il sue
cess
As a sport it is good business. bUt
as a business it is a bad sport
Such men as Charley COmIskey,
James Gaftney, Joseph Lanninn, Harry
Hampstead. Barney Dreyfuss, Garry
Hermann and many others are excel
lent business men, but first they are
good sports-goOd srOrtS in the sense
that they are baseball fans and real
lovers of the game and are thus en-.
abled to regard the game as a sport.
ing proposition without losing sight
OF it as a business investment. How
ever, | know that not one Of these
men would think of making the bust
ness end greater than the sport
never will forget how, on what
proved to be last day Of the worlds
series last autumn. Mr.. Gaffney came
to the dressing room in the Braves
clubhouse and made a short speech
to the players before the game
Boys" he said, Il want You to go
out there this afternoon and win.
have my heart set on making it four
straight. 1t would mean a great deal
more money to me if you were to
lose, but please don't lose. | would
rather that you win the game rnan
to be given a million dollars"
That's the kind Of a sport he is
That the men who govern baseball
are against anything that might make
the business end greater than the
playing end is proved by at least one
ruling of the national commission.
Several years ago it was possible for
major league clubs to draft players
from, We will say for example. a class
B league club for $lGUu and almost
sell the same player to-
a club in class A league for twice as
much. That pr?ctise is no longer pos
sible. Rules have been passed which
block any such methods. If
baseball as a business were rated
higher or even ON an equal plane with
baseball as sport such rules wOnld