Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1915-05-16

that the public is tired Of the |
commercialized base ball. !
tR&SI Thoughtful commentators, who |
S1 have the games best interest
in mind. have from time to time for
many months, called attention to this
fact, and yet the magnates have waited
to have the force of the argument come
with the overwhelming proof of the
public's Indifference to their personal
concerns. President ONeill of the West
ern league was one of the earliest of
observers of the game TO comment ad-
versely on the habit of exploiting myth
cal sums paid for ball players by one
team or another. He also gave 1t as
his judgment that 1t was harmful to the
game to establish the thought in the
minds of the people that the dollars and
cents side of the sport was uppermost
While money Is needed to run a team,
and the public has never shown any sign
of begrudging either owner or player the
profits of the sport, no matter how large
they might be, the persistence with which
the monetary side of the game, especially
since the entry of the Federal league,
has been dwelt upon, has turned away
many a supporter, who felt whatever OF
patriotism and civic pride he might have
from the box office. The team owner
who will quit talking about how much
he pays for his players and will put out
combination of winners. without an
nexing cost tags to any, will be the one
to win back what they all miss-the
popular favor so necessary to success in
base ball.
T1a T9A, Arata 20 AZ bal
team for Omaha seem about to be real
ized. 1t looks as If we had at last gotten
lot of youngsters who have the neces-
sary vim. skill and persistence to win a
majority of the games they enter. Some
thing of crudity may yet attach to their
style, but they show a willingness that
is very commendable, and a pertinacity
that viii make the other fellows watch
all summer long. No better example of
this quality was ever given than that
shown over at Des Moines, when Omaha
went to the bat in the ninth inning five
runs to the bad, and tied the score. The
rally was a magnificent squirt, and proves
the mettle Of the youngsters who march
behind Marty Krug under the Rourke
banner. Later in the season, when the
pitching staff has been brought down to
a better working basis. and some of the
finesse Of the sport is made available
Omaha is going to furnish splendid enter
tainment on the ball field.
Taking it by and large. the Western
league is doing fairly well, thank you
The paying strength of the teams is mucf
nearer balanced than it vas last season
and this without weakening the quality
of base ball provided for the public''
pleasure. result OF this is that public
interest is more general, and attendance
at the games is better. AS the season
moves ahead and the relative strength
of the teams is better developed, thi
interest ought 10 get back to the pitci
when the Western boosted of the bes
average attendance Of any of the minol
leagues, which was because it Furnished
the best ball of any.
Amateur and "semi-pro" base ball 4
Omaha lost bright light when Georg
('Shanty) Falconer slid over the plat
for the last time. He was player o
the type that men admire. Modest as h
was efficient, clean I'm all his ways, an
going into the sport for the sake of tn
sport he made for himself a name tina
will long be recalled by those who watc
name is out of the lineup for all tim
now. but his memory is warm In tn
heart OF many a hustling bail tosser
this section.
Pa Rourke packed his little kit an
slipped away from home Friday, with
out telling anybody whittier he wa
bound. Only one reason may be cite'
g. hn IA
another pitching person.
Do YOU suppose Bill Donovan IS merel
a lucky guy. OF Is It that the Yanks TN
him better than they did Frank Chanct
At any rate, he is doing what the Pee
less couldn't do-he's making that gar
play ball.
Marty Krug looks like the Won Hinder
berg OF the Western. He is making SUE
tirne-tried veterans as Isbell. Jack He
land and Josh Clarke sit up and ta'
notice.
with Topeka at one end and wiehi
at the other, those Kansas teams see
10 have the Western league standing tai
between them.
Those untried youngsters OF Rourk'
are surely showing the real goods
they'll keep II up. the way 20 the bigs
fields OF base ball Is open
One good way 20 make base ball a 81
cess is 20 go to the games and afto
practical encouragement by your PR
ence.
Don't worry about COMFY Mack:
knows pretty we'll what he's doing all
time.
Cliff Rowland is showing them q
Commy wasn't crazy after all.