Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-02-06
BALTIMORE DOOMED
TO minor LEAGUE
Sure to Fail in Its Effort to OBJ
tain Representation in Either
Major Organization.
DEMONSTRATED INABILITY
TO SUPPORT EVEN WINNER
Bigger Than Four Cities Now In Big
Circuits. But Cannot Furnish
Crowds for Games.
BY I. E. sANBoRN.

base ball Baltimore occupies
much the same unenviable posi-
ton as the we'll known gent with
the White Seal appetite and the
Budweiser income. ,."'''''
This is no reflection on Balti-
inure's abstemiousness nor on the
financial standing OF the COM
ri1unity as whole. The para
phrase OF the trite expression
most aptly fits the craving Balti-
more has for a major league team
with only minor league patronage
to maintain it.
Just now the City OF Orioles is
endeavoring to block in the
courts the contamination of the
peace agreement between or
ganized base ball and the Federal
League, which is the third head
stone on the grave OF Baltimore's
majority league aspirations. At
different times it has held fran
chises in the National, American
and Federal leagues, and all three
have been lost or taken away
from the city.
Baltimore feels deeply injured
and entertains only the bitterest
feelings toward organized base
ball. but in reality Baltimore has
done the national game much
more harm than it has suffered
from base ball, although its fan
citizens do not realize that fact
and are not to blame for it. In
stead, they are planning to do as
much additional harm as possible
and will welcome the next out
law" league.
Why It Is Poor Ball Town.
1t has never been explained satisfac-
torily to base ball men why Baltimore.
with a population exceeding that Of
tional leagues, is not a good location
for a major league club. The Maryland
metropolis is bigger than Washington.
Cincinnati. Pittsburgh or Detroit and
almost as large as Cleveland. But in
base ball patronage it has not ranked
with Washington. the smallest Of the
major league cities.
The only reason advanced that seems
to meet the situation Is that a consid-
cradle part of the Baltimore population
is not prosperous enough to afford to
patronize major league base ball, and
another considerable part is too well
the national pastime. presumably be-
cause so much of it seeks cooler eli
mates during the period of base ball
enthusiasm The foregoing reason is
given for what 1t is worth without
vouching for its accuracy.
The reason why Baltimors hates
minor league base ball is because Of its
size and civic standing makes it's deni-
zens too proud to fall for anything ex-
cept the best: that is why 1t opened it's
arm SO joyously to the Federal League
a couple of winters ago. only to have
its aspirations dashed by the newt
able.
Even in it's palmiest days, when the
old Orioles were winning National
League championships. three in a row.
Baltimore was injuring base ball,
although its citizens could not be
blamed, of course. Those famous ORR
oles did more to break down discipline
and spread disregard for authority on
the diamond than any other team be-
fore or since. II is to Baltimore
credit that even with a pennant- win
ming team IT did not patronize the
wrangling kind of base ball we'll
enough to retain membership in the
National League. When its circuit was
reduced from twelve to eight clubs in
1900. with little consideration for the
feelings Of Marylanders. the Baltimore
franchise was vacated and the team
consolidated with Brooklyn.
Welcomed American League.
so. when the American League start
ed war and expanded into the east Bal
timore hung a huge welcome" sign on
the city hall, but inside of two wears
that city was the scene of undermining
operations by which the National
league tried to wreck the American
the New York NatioT al League club
and disposed of most of the good pIay.
ers on the team. Just for that BaIfi-
more lost its American League fran.
chise, but again IL was not the fault OF
Then came the Federal League. with
the result too recent to need memory
re1reshment. Once more Baltfmore Is
demanding major league, ALTHOUGH
:.ii the rest of the base ball world real.
ICES u can't AFFORD one at the present
cost OF financing and maintaining one
And in this commercial age no cImf
owner Is going to reduce the value ht
places on his franchise by one doIla r
even to please Baltimore, much as IL.
prloe IS respected and much as its sen
,imentaI regard FOR base ball would
ton.