Omaha daily bee., 1916-03-05
Judgments


Organized Base Bali who con-
tnue TO vent their spleen upon
the Federal league despite the
fact that the Federal league is now
defunct. received a gentle slap on
the wrist from Henry Ford Sin
clair the other day. In making the
announcement that he is through with
base ball Sinclair asserted that he did
not lose any moneyain the Federal league
as the aforementioned prolific press
agents declared but on the contrary was
Melted little profit through the sale OF
players. II is very likely Sinclair spoke
the truth FOR the loss of a few dollars
to a man of sinclair's wealth is no
calamitous adversely. and Sinclair would
very probably admit 1t II the truth. The
publicity hounds Organized ball had on
its staff during the war had the Feds on
the verge of destruction for two years
and it was sad blow to them when the
amalgamation occurred. Since then they
have constantly considered the merger a
philanthropic concession on the part of
Organized ball and have tried to smother
their disappointment by relating lurid
tales of exaggerated losses of the Federal
magnates. An investigation of the books
probably would find that Organized base
ball teams lost just as much money dur
ing the war as any OF the Federal league
clubs and it's about time to quit harping
on the subject. etl
Numerous are the eompia nts heard that
professional base ball players are over
PAID. Perhaps it is true! considering that
many ball player with skull of solid
rock and possessing nothing but an In
herent ability to play ball, could not earn
the price OF more than two new suits a
year at any other line of -endeavor. But
a glance at the fabulous sums paid per-
formers in other athletic lines makes
those paid ball players small by COM
pafison. Take for instance the enormous
purse which will be paid Jess Willard
and Frank Moran. For a scant thirty
minutes of work which may or not be
sa tisfactoTy-probably not--Willard Will
get $4,000 and Moran will get S22,5OO Ty
Cobb draws an annual salary of Sis OOOe
To, earn this he works something like
800 or 40 hours. a little more perhaps.
And Cobbs performance is practically
certain 20 be satisfactory. II willard is
worth $4,000 for thirty minutes work is
Cobb over-paid when he gets $1,000 for
zoo hours? Figuring the relative merits
of the men II Ty Cobb Is worth only
$1,000 a year Willard would have to pay
for the privilege of boxing thirty minutes
with Moran.
There is no gain-saying the fact, Omaha
is rapidly approaching the proportions of
a big city. The latest proof we have of
this fact is the Omaha athletic club
project which is attracting the attention
of. the leading business men of the city.
And the Omaha Athletic club is to be
real one, one with an eight-story club
house erected at a cost OF over $4,000.
Most of the big cities of the country have
or. are organizing athletic clubs. An
athletic club is an attraction for a city.
1t is an incentive to the advancement of
sport The men who are behind the
Omaha Athletic club are evidently de-
teFmined Omaha's club shall be equal to
any in the country or they would not
contemplate the erection Of so costly a
building. Omaha will welcome the club
and be behind it in everything 1t under
takes.
DR.. Stewart, newly appointed director
. of athletics at the University of Ne
braska. will be introduced to Cornhusker
supporters this week. DR.. Stewart Is to
make a short visit to the Husker uni
veFsity to get acquainted with the men
with whom he will associate next fall.
Let's all extend Or. Stewart a welcome
greeting and assure him that Nebraska
from boundary to boundary 10 with him.
Jumbo Stiehm seems to be almost COM
pleteiy forgotten. Even his irate OPP
ponents in Lincoln have ceased to apply
the branding iron TO Jumbo. Stehm is
a Hoosier now. and Stewart is the Ne
braska man. When the new director ar
rives let's give him the spotlight and the
entire stage as we'll and .,eep Stiehm be-
hind the scenes, he's no longer mem
Der Of the Cornhusker troupe.
II you don't believe the training sea-
son adds to an athletes speed. visit one
OF the southern camps and see for your
self practical demonstration when the
diEner gong hits. .t1a
Blood will tell After spending years
at the Carlisle Indian school trying to
learn to be civilized, War Eagle chose
wrestling as profession.
4 a player was recently given a decision
by the national commission, showing
that there is still something wrong with
base ball.
1t used to be pool. now they call II
the. American pocket billiard champion
ship tournament