New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-11-20
economy Better
Than Syndicate
Baseball Plan
Pooling of Interests Would
Rob National Pastime of
Sporting Glamour
By W. J. Macbeth

"a. . cheerful attitude toward the
Irr But doubtless IL is simply an
~, case Of the little boy whistling
. ts.u I'D his courage while passing
| =. sorntry cemetery at night Charles
4 A cOmiskey, owner Of the world cham
-, White Sox, lets the cat out Of
/ >. bag. with his interview on the
,rsueet Of pooling resources-both
,Isysrs and receipts.
Urtil Comiskey spoke nobody on the
,qt,!ds ever suspected the outlook for
,sis so grave as It appears to be- It
!, unite true that 8 number Of major
laeus clubs have been hard hit By the
ur. The losses through draft have
A.eu more or less negligible. Most OF
u. players conscripted from both
naiors were youngsters who had not
u.ds themselves vitality important TO
,s,ir employers. There were excep-
dOuL Of course, the most striking
I.On Galore, a sterling pitcher of the
badgers, and Evans, the star inf1elder
A he Cleveland Indians.
Rail players, however, are no less
atrotie than any other class Of pro
;,.,lonal or unprofessional men. II
major leAguers hung back at first It
VI, because they wished TO finish out
sas more season. For Of late they
IUs been coming out manfully 10 do
tssir Dit" Within the last week
Rabbit" Meanwhile, the backbone Of
he Braves, enlisted. BE might easily
hIve claimed exemption
Others May Join Colors
There Is little doubt that before
pring many other stars Voluntarily
VII Join the colors. Others, less
patriotic, may be taken In the next
arsft. since all those originally sub
jset 70 call will have TO stand examinA-
ion again. Il may be quite true that
many Of the best teams of both major
lssTues will be shot TO pieces. Still
-: fact would not justify pooling
Of interests
It would be far better for organized
baseball 70 have declared a moratorium
during the period Of the war than to
ny to operate upon any plan that
snacks Of the syndicate brand Of pro-
notion. II Is because Of the glamour
Of workmanship that still clings TO
ais national game, despite the many
short-sighted operators who have
bobbed up from time 70 time, that base
ball has worn so well these many
TsarS.
Once confess q disposition to pool
resources, or, in other words, TO oper-
--11~ a&roaa ~
var pressure-and baseball will be ir-
rparably damaged. In Just one season
h esu be set so far back that twenty
YEAR Of peace can not reestablish IL TO
present favor.
There are countless ways and means
tor he magnAtes Of the two big
leagues to retrench without falling
back On the syndicate plan. In q pinch
the roster limit might be cut to the
~bushiest7 proportions-say dozen
men. Better some clubs lose title 70
certain stars because Of this minimum
roster than for all 70 suffer from
boomerang 70 q game which has been
Kept great because Of public faith and
confidence
Strict Economy Needed
Lot the major league clubs operate
upor the most economical lines posi-
be The public can easily understand
and excuse economy In these times. But
whatever IL done each club should be
made 70 stand on lie own feet Therein
lies the FINAL salvation Of the game.
What bliss for baseball managers II
some Of the stars were as reekness
With life and limb during championship
games a. they are In the on season.
Our own Benny Ksuh and Babe Ruth
o. the Red SoI narrowly escaped death
IL automobile accidents last week.
Benny, with a hunting party, was In
car driven by "Howdy" Dawson, the
ace driver, that hit an abutment OF o
bridge while travelling at high speed.
gauf and another occupant was thrown
from the car, but. fortunately, III in
he soft dirt by the roadside and es-
tzped injury.
babe Ruth, while driving a car near
Boston. foolishly attempted 70 beat
two electric cars travelling toward him
from opposite directions. His machine,
e1ught between the two, was complete
y demolished, but the champion south
paw miraculously escaped with Few
ierstenes
The var tax will furnish one OF the
chef topics for discussion at the an
nual meetings Of the major leagues
next month. Sentiment among the
owners fsvors paying this from the re-
esipts rather than adding IT 70 the
public tariff. Judging from the ioesi
depression In the theatrical business
"a. idea is one worthy Of thorough
trial