The Washington herald., 1915-08-27
This Practice Should Be
Checked for the Good Of
the National Game.
OTHER SPORT GOSSIP
Grifmen Open Series Against St.
Louis Browns This Afternoon.
Comment and Chat. -.
By WILLIAM PEET.

By WILLIAM PEET. !.
American League baseball has alread!
been handed black eye and II sotnl
to suffer q heap more next season ant
in years to come II stop is not pu
to the practice Of selling strong player
by weak clubs to pennant contenders
when the race begins to tighten up.
In the National League we see a grand
old free-for-all scrap. with half dozen
clubs still eligible for the pennant. The
pennant fight in the American League
Is not sporting venture any more, it's
case Of commerciaiism..
Within the past two weeks the st. Lou
Is Browns have added strength to the
Detroit Tigers by allowing Pitcher James
! to be sold. On top Of this came the
sale Of Joe Jackson to the Chicago White
Sox. Wednesday Sam Agnew. the
Brown best catcher. was purchased by
the Boston Red Sox and last night came
a well-defned rurnor that Charley Com
lskey, owner of the Chicago club, was
going to make desperate attempt to
buy Frank Baker. the home-run slugger
at present owned by Connie Mack.
ssss
In Chicago there is some excuse for
rendering aid to the White Sox. be-
cause Of the Federal League club In that
city, but Chicago has been helped about
enough.
The one team which really needs star
players II the present spirit of CONNER
cialism Is to be continued Is the New
York Yankees, for pennant contender
In New York would make money for
every club owner in the American
League. and yet we do not hear OF the
Yanks getting a chance to bid for such
players as Jackson, Jack Barry, Frank
Baker. Bill James. and others who have
been transferred for consideration from
second division American. League clubs
to pennant contenders.
The Grifrmen bid adeiu to chicaso last
night until 1916. winning the series just
closed two games out Of three.
Today the Nationals are In st. Louis
for three-game series against the
Browns.
Thus far the Nationals have Travelled |
at $50 clip through the West. but gained |
little ground on the leaders.
With long stretch Of home games to |
wind up the season, there is yet a chance |
Of the Nationals passing the Chicago
White Sox and finishing third. providing |
the Old Fox does not attempt to do too |
much experimenting with recruit players
Discussing the American League race
md the practice in vogue of selling star
players. Billy Weart. the baseball writer
IN the Philadelphia Telegraph. says:
Baseball magnates should adopt a rule
players to be sold after
,ertain date in the championship sea-
on.
THE mad scramble to buy the pennant
n the American League Is taking the
out of the race. When
'onnie Mack was winning championships 4
or this city he did not have to buy the I
onor. although he did once make a deal I
n midseason with Cleveland which
rought Bris Lord here. -- "
That deal. however. was a tame affair a
ompared with the money-madress Of the r
wners of the Boston. Chicago and De- I
roit clubs. There are times during. a
ace when a club finds 1t advisable to I
ct rid Of a player. but never before has S
pennant hight been made such a COM
lercial proposition as the present one In o
le johnson circuit. I
There is no rule to prevent a club p
ON buying a player at any time that it 4
IN get another club to sell. but there Il
lould be such rule" n
Fred Clarke went back into baseball e
story Wednesday with a story Of a c
sit of the Pirates to the Polo
rounds fifteen years ago. He said n
at they played three double-headers s.
three Gays anu tndt Cne f1ttSDufgn ~
ub was paid for not more than II
nety admissions each day. Baseball W
as in worse shape then than 1t Is O
w." added the Pirate chief. 1T
Ito
And once again we pause to remark. CT
ep your eyes on the Boston Braves, W
no are now staging their most pep tn
ry squirt since the opening of the to
Is season. ID
Here is a strange case Of ball ex
ayer who "bucked" against playing da
the major leagues. preferring to Is
main in the minors The player is 10
ne other than Harry wolter, for nc
my years with the New York Yam IN
es and other major league clubs. Ia
olter has been playing great ball at e ce
s Angeles, his latest record being a OIL
8 batting average for 1874 games. He
credited with fifteen doubles. four
n triples. Ave home runs and thirty-l =
. stolen bases. Major league clubs ,,'
re after Wolter. who seems to have ye;
overed from the broken leg which b.,
ped to hurry him out Of the major Gal
gues. He agreed to finish the sea- Dci
with the White Sox. according to Nh
ort. but preferred to return to the Ne, M.
st next Season. At least the story RI
1t that way. Wolter has q laundry
iness at Santa Clara, Cal. and that
y be the reason. Then again 1t n
y be that he has had all the major Ora
que he desires. Ion