Omaha daily bee., 1916-01-02


prediction that 1915 will surpsss all pre-
vious years in the success of every kind
of American sport. In the twelve-month
tust past all branches of sport with the
exception of base ball prospered to a
phenomenal degree. And this year
should-and I'm every probability
will-see the envious record made last
yeSr shattered in many pieces. So far
Jas can be seen as the new year is ushered
in there should be no deterioration in the
Interest taken in any of the American
sports. The barometer indicates fair
weather, a clear sea and easy sailing for
the tweve-month to come and no evil
omen springs up to disturb our pleasant
dreams Of a rosy future The year 1916
Should go down without a black mark
against it. Base ball should enjoy q big
year 1t is true, perhaps. that 1916 will
mot see the return OF the halcyon days of
old in base ball. Neither will 1917 or 1915.
or 1919 or subsequent years. For the
other sports, golf, tennis. trap shooting.
automobiling, all have cut in to occupy
the attention of the American public.
They are demanding their share of the
Sinterest. But that is no reason why base
ball should not prosper. The professional
game. of course, will not be the great
financial success it was in the days of
yore, but it will not be losing venture,
far from it, and the men connected with
the business end Of the game should
make reasonable and justified profits.
Base ball Is not the only sport which
should enjoy prosperity this current year
Golf should continue in it's line of prog
ress as it has in the last few years. as
should tennis. foot ball. automobiing
bowling, billiards and every other sport,
major or minor Nineteen sixteen should
be great year. and unless the unforeseen
should happen it will be-
With peace fully declared In profess
sional base ball come voices against the
contract jumpers who deserted organ ized
Base Ball in response to the tempting
bait of the Federsls while the war was in
progress. These players are targets for
scathing rebukes. and the fellows who
remained faithful" are receiving flatter-
ing concentrations and bouquets.
Enemies of the Federals advocate that
those who remained loyal be given
their just dues; that they be rewarded
handsomely. while the jumpers be pun
tshed for their sins. This is all very we'll.
u
ticn that there wasn't an overly amount
OF loyalty among the players who re-
manned with Organized Base Ball during
the fight. Such loyalty as there was
seems to have been of the purchased va
riety They were loyal because the Or
ganized Base Ball magnate chose to
boost the offers made by the FederaIs.
or because the Feds didn't see fit to
nff1 T..
TO make a sweeping charge against all
the athletes, but It is more than likely
that 1t applies in eight cases out of ten.
An example of the manner in which the
minor leagues are usually treated by the
big league magnates comes from Mil
waukee. Outfielder Flack. a star wfth-the
Chtfeds. jumped Milwaukee contract to
become affiliated with the outlaws.
Flack no longer is an outlaw, but to
whom does he belong? The Chicago Cubs.
not Milwaukee, to whom he should right
fully go. The majors are the men who
made the peace compact. The majors
will be the principal benefiters. And
once more we get a glimpse of the inner
workings of the big fellows and see the
big stick swing over the heads OF the
much abused minors
Les Darcy is coming to the United
States. Now watch few Of our precious
Imtddleweights who take lessons from
Vernon Castle and therefore have no af-
finity for mussy young persons with the
good night 42-centimeter wallups, en-
trench themselves for the winter
Among others neglected in the base ball
peace compact are the umpires who
lsbored in the Federal league. The life
of the jumps was always hard one even
though, as the late Tim Hurst was wont
TO say, you can't beat them hours"
The ice skating game is said TO have
landed a neat left hook under the right
optic of the dancing craze. Thus Vernon
Castle, Freddie Welsh and other experts
of terpsichore agree with Wall street
that it's hard winter.
Nebraska university profited nearly
$4,000 on the recent foot ball season. IL
this keeps on all our base ball magnates
win transfer their affections TO foot ball.
1t has been charged that tho Federal
league lost over 100000 during its ex-
istencc Tho conventional brand OF cur
rency is s,ill In circulation, 1t seems
Ii would seem that OF the seventy
Federal league players on the open mar
ket the New York Yankees would Ike
to have seVenty-onc.
AZ least from the success attending
the press agents efforts. the willard
Fulton bout IS a regular champ onship
scrsr.
So far as we can make out in tue set
Element of the base bail war Baltimore
was very effectively Belgiumed.
II Johnny Dennison keeps on Omall =
amateur base bali will be confined ex-
clusivey to the Luxus next summer
Marty Krug will be in Omaha in a day
or two. Then let the green grass grow
all around.
Hugh Jennings Has