New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-10-18
Magnates Are Considering
Ways and Means of Saw
ing National Pastime
BY W. J. MACBETH

From now until the annual meetings
Of the two major leagues in this city
next December owners Of major league
clubs will give particular thought to
ways and means Of reestsblishing the
oldtime interest Of the public In this
professional sport.
The National League appears to Rave
fallen far the more heavily in the good
graces of fsndom. During the first
worlds series game at Ebbets Field the
stands did not appear to be very much
more than half filled. There was bet
ter attendance for the second game,
but still there were many bald spots
both upstairs and down. Boston APP
peared little apathetic for the OPEN
ing clash at Braves Field. Great i'm
prGvement in the numbers Of the crowd
was evidenced the second day there.
For the third and concluding game the
greatest crowd Of worlds series his
tory was out.
AS Braves Field had practically
double the accommodations Of Ebbets
Field, but one conclusion may be
drawn from this apparent fact that
81 eoklyn fandom gave the cold Shout
der TO the Robins. The general public
felt deeply the cloud that had been
cast over the finish of the pennant race
in the parent major when John J. Nc
Graw quit his Giants with the insinua-
ton that they were not trying their
hardest to keep Brooklyn from a PEN
npnt. That fiare-up will not soon be
forgotten. The Robins might have
covered IL up had they played with
greater heart against the Red Sox.
Lure Of Gold
Perhaps, as Ban Johnson says, II is
true that certain major league mag
mates have allowed the lustre Of gold
{, overcome the genuine traditions OF
sportsmanship that prevailed In the
oldcn days. Still tho class among
magnates has improved greatly in ten
years. Something beside cupidity lies
at the bottom.
Ed Barrow, president Of the Inter-
national League, dropped a hint dur
ing the last game of the worlds series
in Boston that may partly explain away
the mystery. Barrow and q party OF
friends were passing the Brook yn
teams hotel at the time the Robins
were starting for the grounds. One
Of Wilbert Robinson's rockies was
heard to "crab" because he was asked
to squeeze into the back seat OF
taxicab with two other players.
THE poor simpleton," said Barrow,
"does not know how lucky he Is. one.
would think him a Caruso instead OF
a lucky knave about TO draw down
$4,000 for warming the bench all sea-
son. -,
at was not so in the old days. !
brought ball teams to this town that
considered themselves lucky il they
get to and from the park alive. The
best we got then was a bus, and we
considered 1t a luxury:
$40 you know, | believe the fussing
and pempering of players by press and
club owners have really taken a great
deal of the romance out Of the sport?
Il would be a good thing il the visiting
players clubhouses should be abolished
from the parks. The best ad the game
ever got was the private parade OF a
visiting team TO the lot in buses, with
every one in uniform. The badinage
between the athletes and the fans, that
often led TO threats of riot and in some
cases even attempts at the same, stirred
UP likes and dislikes that could be
properly vented only from the bleach
ers.
Good Old Days
"How different now in this age OF
high nance. Prima donnas have
nothing on the temperamental stars.
The players ride TO and from the ball
marks in their private cars, many with
regularly employed chauffeurs. No
longer do they come in close contact
with the public. And the public, save
the dyed-in-the-woo fans, is quick to
forget. In my opinion. the pilgrimage
of visiting teams to ball park was
quite as important as is street parade
to a circus. If the major leagues could
turn back to that old practice l am
sure the game would benefit"
According to the deep-rooted convte-
tions of certain National League club
owners the apparent short comings OF
the parent organization are attributed
to the twenty-one player limit roster:
In all probability at the next annual
meeting Of the Tener circuit this limit
will be raised to twenty-five, as OBJ
served In the American League. For
the last six or seven years the Ma
tional League has appeared weak in
comparison to the younger orgs MIA
ton. Almost without exception the
Johnson clubs have scored heavily
against their National League rivals,
both in the ante-season and post-ssa-
son series played.
The climax came this fall, when, In