The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1916-07-22
Fans Are Just n Strong New For
National Pastime a. At Any
Time in Years Gone
BY.
STILL REIGNs SUPREME
Has Suffered Moro From Automobile
Than Goh, Movies or Other
Forms Of Rserea-
ton.

| Is there ~ much interest In base-
ball today a In former days2 This
| Is q question many have asked and
many have tried to answer The
writer believes he il correct in say
ing there is more interest In base
BALL today than ever before. This
statement is made IN spite OF the fact
that attendance figures fail to prove
1t. II one looks only at the attend
ance figures it does not take long
to get the opinion that people are
getting tired, of baseball But at
tendance figures do not prove that
people are not interested in the
game. From a commercial stand
point OF view minor league baseball
cannot be claSsed among the sue
cessful institutions. Not enough
money is paid at the gates to main
tain even q email per cent Of the
clubs. But, may we ask, when did
gate receipts maintain q good ball
team?
But there Is another viewpoint,
and one which the writer believes
proves beyond doubt that greater
number OF American people are in
tereeted in baseball today than ever
before. II you take the trouble to
ask the general pubic something
about the various baseball teams,
you will find they are better posted
on baseball than they are on the war,
politics, or any other subject, except
ing always, the weather. They may
not have attended the game, but they
can always tell you the results of
the game in which their home club
has taken part. We doubt II any part
of a newspaper Is more generally read
than the sports page. There are
thousands OF people who see very
few games, but who can tell you all
about the ball club representing the
town in which they live.
AS you are returning from Q ball
game you are invariably asked by all
who know, you, and many you don't
know, this question: What's the
scorer Step into any OF the stores
where results OF the games are post
ed and see how many step in to take
look at the score board. Drop into
a newspaper once after the game
and offer to answer tho telephone
calls that come In from persons
wanting to know how the game
came out" Or il you are the pub
Usher OF a newspaper, leave out your
sports page for a few days and see
how fast the subscribers have their
names removed from your List
No. there may not be as many PEG
pie attending the ball games today
as there were few years ago. but
don't let anyone convince you there
are fewer interested in the game.
Baseball, from an attendance point
Of view, has suffered more from the
automobiles than from any other one
source, not excluding golf and mo-
ton pictures. Golf and the movies
have taken many from the games,
but not SO many as to cause worry.
But before automobiles, golf and tho
movies were SO numerous, baseball,
was about the only place the pleas
ure seeking public had to go But
although they may not be out to see
the games, the people love the game
and want 1t to continue.
Every city in which minor club
is located, should remember this one
fact-it takes more than the gate
receipts TO maintain the team. If,
however. a city Is SO fortunate as
to have a large enough attendance to
finance club, all the better. But
because these are few and Ear be-
tween It is best to face the fact at
the beginning and not live in hope
that the game will take care CT It.
SELF. It costs money to have parks
and pIaygrounds-and It costs money
to have baseball.