Omaha daily bee., 1916-11-12
Judgments

what the coach can do. Minnesota pos
\ sessed what many experts believed Il
be the greatest team in the country
certainly the best in the west. |
probably is still better team thai
Illinois, and Mirnesotans would b,
willing to gamble at odds that tn,
Gophers could whip the Illini ever,
day in the week. But on that on,
day they didn't do it. Whyi The an
swer is simple--Robert Zuppke die
it. Zuppke knew he had a weak team
a team that, everything being equal
could not hope to cope with thu
stronger teams of the conference. Sc
he began to build up an overhead at
tack. By constant application hi.
eleven became proficient in the for
ward passing game. In the earlier
games the 1llini failed to show 1
thing. Zuppke suffered defeats at the
hands of Colgate and Ohio in order
to cover up his attack to be employed
later and also to give his men plent,
OF time to adopt the open game. The
result was that Illinois completed,
swept the Gophers off their feet witt
the new and unexpected style of play
1t was practically Zuppke victory
and in that one game at least it was
certainly W per cent coach and about
III per cent team. Warner, at Pitts.
burgh, is another example of what
the coach can do. Pittsburgh was a,
least the equal of any team in the
east last year and is this year. 1t
may be even better. And all because
OF Warner. Before the season ends
our prediction is that Stewart of Ne
braska will lend another argument in
favor Of the coach Stewart, like
Zuppke, is taking things easy prepar-
atory to exhibiting his real attack for
the first time against Notre Dame.
Take a tip from us-there are going
to be lot of surprised persons in
Nebraska about Thanksgiving day.
A Pittsburgh writer has come to
the front with an assertion that Kene-
saw Mountain Lands, federal Judge
at Chicago. is the man Barney Drey-
fuss wants as chairman of the Ma
tional commission, the job now occu-
pied by Garry Hermann, upon whom
Barney has declared war to the death.
Base ball couldn't get better man
than Judge Lands for the chairman
ship OF its supreme court. The Judge
is a thirty-third degree fan, has fol-
lowed base bali closely for MANY
years. and has had long years Of
legal and judicial experience. Perhaps
Dreyfuss can prevail on Lands to
serve organized base bali, but it
seems to good to be true.
The National Association of Minor
Leagues convenes at New Orleans
this week. 1t will be rather sorry
looking meeting compared to that
which was held in Omaha two years
ago when the number OF leagues was
almost fifty. Less than half this
number will be represented at New
Orleans. 1t is said Cal Ewing from
the Pacific Coast and Al Tearney, the
!. |. l. league firebrand, will get to-
gether to introduce lot of reform
legislation III the association. We
don't know whether Cal and Al will
be successful, but it's a cinch some
reform is needed if the National as
ISOLATION ever hopes to call another
roll. ..n
President Baker OF the Phillies an
nounces that at the National league
meeting this winter he intends to start
crusade against the evil of selling
players after August |. Baker was
victim this year, when the Giants and
Robins strengthened their linepps
toward the end of the year and he
saw very plainly the evil in such a
system. Baker is right. Strength
ening teams that are in the pennant
fight savors too much Of hippodrom-
ing; it is Unfair to the fans and the
National league would do we'll to pass
a rule prohibiting such a practice.
Another proof OF the desirability Of
the shorter league season has been
made manifest by the closing Of the
Pacific Coast league. Los Angeles
barely won the pennant after vi
cious fight with Vernon during the
last month of the campaign, and yet
there was little interest among the
fans and when the schedule came to
a close not murmur was heard.
There isn't any getting away from
1t, the base ball public begins to tire
of the game after Labor day no mat
ter how hot the race or interesting
the games.
1t is said T. Raymond Cobb, the
celebrated thespian, in encountering
difficulties in the silent drama. T.
Raymond, being a base ball hero, is
supposed to manufacture home run
at the crucial moment, but, as luck
would have it, Tyrus was only able
to knock dinky single to right field.
But despair not, Ty, the movies aren't
ike base ball they can fake home
runs in the film.
Ban Johnson and Davy Fultz plan
to clash in merry joust this winter
over the transforming fuss. John
son insists that the players who took
part in the transforming tours must
pay the fines assessed. Davy dis
putes the justice of the fines and is
equally insistent that the players will
not pay them. All Ban and Davy |
need is referee and a timekeeper.
All, ha, it is out at last A Washing
ton report says that John McGraw
had $4,000 wagered that his Giants
would finish one, two, three and that
is why Little Napoleon became so
outraged during that Brooklyn-New |
York series. No wonder Muggsy
felt a little peeved.