Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1917-04-15
WESTERN STARTS
SEASON WEDNESDAY
Going Bids Well to Be Rough
est in History of Zehrung
Organization.
OMAHA HAS WINNING TEAM

The good ship Western league
Wednesday will poke its sturdy prov
into the stormiest sea that has ever
confronted it and start on fve-month
and a half journey that promises to he
risky venture at most.
While other minor leagues dropped
by the wayside or went through re-
organizations, the Western league has
successfully weathered seventeen sea-
sons and is the oldest minor league in
this part of the country. The Western
went through several seasons of
tough going, but it always managed
to pull through.
And with that same courage, which
marked all OF those seventeen sea-
sons, Western league club owners are
embarking on the eighteenth.
But the path the Western league
may have to travel this year is likely
to be considerably rougher than ever
before and the obstacles to surmount
more numerous and more formidable.
War First Problem.
The war is the first problem Of the
Western league magnates. Will base
ball prosper despite the fact that the
United States has become involved in
the embroglio?
Another problem is the high cost Of
living. The cost OF living strikes
blow at the base ball magnates from
the front and the rear. The poor man
will not be able to attend ball games
as often as he used to. And expenses
of running a ball club have been
greatly increased.
Des Moines and Sioux City present
a third problem. The state Of Iowa
has law which prohibits amusements
on Sunday and base ball comes in the
barred list. 1t is said the law will
be strictly enforced in Des Moines.
Fans in the Hawkeye capitol are max
ing desperate fight to hold Sunday
base ball, but present indications are
that they wilffose. Sioux City may
be able to escape the law.
But the abolition of Sunday base
ball would practically break either
Des Moines or Sioux City and hurt
every other club in the league. 1t is
doubtful If either Iowa town can re-
tain base ball team without Sunday
games. Take Des Moines and Sioux
City out of the league and what hap
pens to the league9
Fans Must Boost.
The Western league didn't have
profitable season last year and it got
away under much more favorable cir
cumstances than it will this year. If
the league is to exist through the 1917
season the fans in every town will
have to get out and boost and patro-
nize the game.
The Commercial clubs and Rotary
clubs all over the league have agreed
to put on their boosting clothes and
fight to keep the loop intact Their
efforts undoubtedly will be big aid.
But each individual fan will have to
do his part, too.
The Western league promises a
fast brand of base ball this season,
as fast if not faster than last year,
and It will be remembered some
mighty nifty ball games verb played
in this circuit during 1916.
In Omaha Pa Rourke has assem-
bled nightly likely looking aggrega-
ton Of athletes and they deserve the
support OF the city. Unless unfore-
seen circumstances bob up to upset the
dope the Rourkes should be contend
ers all the way, They not only look
like the first division, but they look
lire. one-two choice.
The Rourkes open the season
Wednesday in Denver, leaving Omaha
tonight for the Mile-High city. They
make a stop tomorrow in Grand Is
land for game there.
From Denver, PAS hopefuls journey
to Wichita, St. Joseph and Joplin
before returning home to open the
local season on May l, the day Ne
braska holds obsequies over the pros
| trate form of 7. Barleycorn.