Omaha daily bee., 1916-07-30
Judgments


THE forfeit of Fridays game to
Wichita because the Rourkes
left the field in order to catch q
train for Denver is another result Of
some fancy schedule making. In or
der to get to Denver in time for Sat-
urdays game by the regular methods
OF transportation, it was necessary for
the Omaha team to catch car from
Wichita at 4 o'clock. This car ar
rives at junction point twenty miles
from Wichita in time for connections
with a train to Denver If the team
leaves later than 4 o'clock a special
interurban car must be chartered and
then a chance is taken that a train
will be caught. Rourke, in order to
protect himself and the Denver club
on its Saturday game, demanded that
his team be allowed to leave the field
at $3.50. His demand was refused and
the game forfeited because he insisted
on leaving. Undoubtedly the forfeit
will stand. But it is really nobody's
fault except the arbitrary schedule
makers who provided such a ridicu-
lous jump. Wichita to Denver is
two-day jump because of the bad
train connections. But Rourke
catches the Wichita-Denver jump
every trip. 1t could be avoided if the
last game at Wichita were called at
| 80 or las, but this cuts into the
attendance and the Wichita manage
ment will not start the games SO
early. As result of the whole mess,
Omaha has had to forfeit gaze, in
which the Rourkes had comfortable
lead. Such impractical jumps should
be avoided by the schedule makers
next year.
Rumors which will not down have
it that several major league clubs are
on the market. The Boston Braves,
St. Louis Cardinals, Cincinnati. Pitts
burgh and Washington, it is said, can
be purchased, and the buyers get a
vote of thanks from the present own
ers. 1t will be noticed four of the
FIVE franchises are in the National
league. The National league is the
older body, but for some reason or
other-it is said the ball is slower
the American league is proving the
more popular with the fans When
the Feds were dismantled it was
thought base ball would come back
into its own, but for some reason OF
other it isn't coming. Nineteen six
teen will go down as another bad year,
both in majors and minors. There's
something wrong, and some quick
doctoring is needed.
What is going to happen this fall
when the base ball magnates gather
and discuss the matter of players
salaries? For the last few years the
autumnal months merely ushered in
salary boosting time. With the Fed
erals and Jim Gilmore jumping hither
and thither the fall equinoxes tended
to blow little more gold into the
old pay envelopes Of the athletes.
But, alas, the gentle breeze is hushed
now and the outlook now is for sal
aries to hit the toboggan. What will
the athletes, then, have to say?
Plenty, probably. The pruning knife
is sure to be welded by the magnates.
And the players are not going to
submit until the wall of the slaves
has been heard from coast to coast.
So we can all expect merry little
winter to start in about December l.
You have got to hand it to Ike
Dorgan, who conducts the business
affairs OF one Frank Moran. A week
ago Dorgan signed terms by which
Moran will meet Carl Morris at Tulsa,
Okl., for fifteen rounds. Moran re-
ceives a guarantee of $4,000, win,
lose or draw, with the privilege Of
thirty-hve per cent of the gate re-
ceipts. Which is batting thousand
in the managerial league when Q
bruiser who has lost his last two
fights and ordinarily would only be
able to demand a guarantee of plug
ged Buffalo nickel and split of the
peanut sales, gets 10000 smacks no
matter what happens.
We have always been inclined to
think that a ball club which has re-
ceived the services of player such
as New York has from Mathewson,
should be willing to carry the player
on its roster as long as he was salts
fed to remain. But the case of
Christy Mathewson is somewhat
different, if reports are true. 1t is
said Cincinnati will pay Matty $4,000
a year as manager. With the Giants
Big Six he drew $4,000. Something
of difference. This great increase
in salary takes away the sentiment
from the sale and puts it strictly up
to Matty.
Jack Holland has delivered ukase.
Jack says he will not stand for UNI
pires Eckman and Mullen. He places
the responsibility for two Drummer
defeats in Omaha to the umpires, and
has warned President Zehrung to
keep Eckman and Mullen in cities
where ST. Joseph is not playing. In
other words, Holland wants to choose
his own umpires. Which would make
the league nice, interesting, little
circuit if the magnates were to choose
their own umpires, and the ball games
would be wonderful affairs.
T ~