Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-02-25
MAGNATEs SEEING LIGHT
BASEBALL HEADS REALIZE
OTHER SPORTS ARE GROWING
All .tSree Something Radically Wrong +
with Game, hut Only Few Put
Fingers on the Sports.

difference OF opinion exists among
baseball moSuls as to the rcs son. or
reasons, for Tho falling of III the at
tendance and the apparent lack % in
terest in the pastinc Jy America =
great population OF sportsmcn
The maSnates agree on one point, -
that there is something radically wrong
with baseball. What tina, something is
most % them profess not 10 knew.
They arc only fooliug themselves.
There arc a fcw u!agnates who see the
.iGht. These arc the men who pay at
tcn;ion 70 the trend OF the times
Dick kinsclia. scout for the New
forE Americans, says tina, the movies
nave hur, baseball President Navin.
"f l'ct:"ii, says that motoring is caus-
ing many thousands 10 forget baseball.
Jack Hendricks, tho Denver manager.
says that golf is tao lurc " many from
tie ball parks. James McGil. owner
"f tho Denver club. asserts that the
decline Of baseball is due 10 The in
rrca Sod interest IN othe. outdoor sports
10y the people who were formerly base
ball fans McGill IL convinced that
baseball Is ON the decline.
McGill may Or may not lie correct
about the decline OF baseball /, is a
biz subJc., But he is right about the
Increased interest o. the once baseball!
activity. Here are the reasons wh.s
Golf
Tennis
Motoring.
FrapshootinE.
II is long story why tho sport.
sports from baseball. The modern
young man takes up Il .spo-, that he
can actually do. No longer is he 10 be
a bench warmo-. For many years mag
mates grew prosperous as lie ,urn-
stiles clicked their sweet refrain hu,
tile clicking hasn't been 40 Industrious
during tho past couple OF Years Poll
ties IN baseball brought charges and
countercharges: then came on scandal
after another OH world. series tickets
the cry of commercialism the con-
tinucd wranglc between the magnates
and the players. and the threat OF the
players 10 close up the ball parks
And some OF the maEnates still wonder
why the people do not take as much
interest IN baseball as OF yore.
Money has done more harm to sport
than any other single factor. Baseball
is the only professional sport that has
thrived for any great period OF time.
The continued arguments in the public
press over salaries never went we'll
with tho fans. Idols were knock ed
from their thrones and the fans began
TO stir themselves and look for other
forms OF amuRements. II Is impossible
for any sport to thrive unless there is
team play all around-nnd there is
anything but team play IN the baseball
world now.
SO tho baseball fan Of yesterday Is
the tennis. golf. motoring or trap
shooting bug Of to-day. Athletics are
compulsory at nearly every school and
college in America, and when tho boy
drifts out into tho world he Is more
or less Interested In ono or more
bran ches OF sport as an actual par.
ticipnnt The day OF tho proxy sport
has pasaod for tho iivc-wiro American.
Let us look tho thing right square In
tho face.
There wore not more than 400 tennis
clubs nor more thnr $4,000 tennis play
ora ton years ngo: today thors are
moro Than 500 topnin clubs and In the
noi9hborhood OF 100000 racket play
ors. And they have about $50. 900. 900
Invested In tho sport. Thcre nre nearly
400 golf clubs In America. n gain OF
over 100 per cent In nva yenrn; aud
golfers havo more Than $4,000. 900 In
vested in tho sport. This. OF course.
includes tho magnificent homes OF GOLF
clubs
The low-priced motor car brought
JOY 10 many. md plenty OF mon who
wero interested In baseball now spend
their leisuro moments in short tours.
Thcn there is trnpshootinG. It's a
grent sport. Golf and trapshooting are
The two sports to which no admission
II charged. no matter how many cham
p!ons may he performing. Tho former
In sport In which tho majority of
tho players ara OF middle ago, whilo
trnpshootinR Ia tho real sport Of con-
Trusting ages. You cnn md tfom at
tho traps from tho litio follow in short
trousers to tho gray and griszlod vet.
ernn. Moro than 100000 siiotguns
havo boon sold In tha United htuten IN
recent years, and there ara more than
800. 600 trapehooters, Five years ago
there we're less than 100000. The mum
Der Of trapshootinE clubs have In.
creased In that time from less than 500
TO moro than 1000.