Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1917-04-08
Judgments
TIRED FULTON'S bubble seems
n to have bursted. After several
=. uears Of hard toll and labor

TAXED fULlON , DuODlc seems
to have bursted. After several
- years of hard toll and labor
Fulton's managers succeeded in con-
vincing the public that Fulton was
no ring clown, but really contender
for Jess Wizards crown. Reams Of
publicity declaring Fulton was the
logical man to contest with the
champion for the title were issued,
Fulton invaded New York and
Gotham promptly placed the stamp
OF approval on him. Fulton became
such good meal ticket that two
managers, Mike Collins and Frank
Force, became involved in legal diff
culties over ownership OF the mana
gerial split of Fred's earnings. And,
then, they matched the former Ne
braskan with Carl Morris. And Nor
ris, say reports, was gracefully pol
ishing Mr.. Fulton off when Fulton
fouled Morris and lost the bout. No
wartime premiums will be asked on
Fulton stock from this date on. On
the other hand Morris stock seems
slated for arise OH bull market The
Oklahoman has been about the most
unfortunate heavyweight in the ring
for the last -four or FIVE years. He was
the first of the white hopes launched.
And he wasn't such bad fighter,
either. But he ran into a bunch Of
bad luck, lost his opportunity to fight
Johnson, and began to Slide back
ward until recently. when he BIOS
somed out again. Now that he has
caved Fulton in, attention is likely
to be turned toward Morris as the
logical contender for the titular
crown.
The 1917 base ball season is on.
The Pacific Coast and Texas leagues
pried off the lid last week. The major
leagues start hostiities this week. In
another two weeks every league in
the country will have been given the
barrier. And in the face OF war, too.
Pessimists, Joy killers and gloom dis
pensers are beginning to sing the
swan song over the diamond sport,
insisting that the national pastime
will lose all its attraction to the inter-
national pastime. The current year
is, of course, an uncertain one. 1t
may spell disaster for base ball. But
it probably won't. Toronto, in Can
ada, broke all records for attendance
last year. 1t surpassed all the other
cities in the International league.
And Toronto had sent its share of
men to the European conflict and
was no doubt as vitality interested in
the war as United States cities will
be. Base ball is not likely to be
planted in the cemetery yet, no mat
ter what the war does.
Speaking on the subject Of golf and
base ball, St. Louis writer hits the
nail on the nose when he says the
damage golf does to base bal is done
directly through base ball managers,
club owners and players. II the base
ball men themselves would pay little
more attention to base ball and less
to the links, base ball would be better
off. Magnates who are supposed to
talk base ball, talk golf. Managers
who are supposed to be wrapped up
in base bali are always trying to
swipe moments to play golf. Players,
who should be practicing hitting, are
out chasing around the links when
ever they get chance. And then they
kick because they say the fans are
quitting base ball to play golf.
The open season on claiming the
pennant is on. The Giants, Braves,
Pills and Dodgers have options on
the National league rag, according to
supporters. Everybody except Connie
Mack has the American loop emblem
sewed up. 1t is, however, mathe-
NAUTICAL impossibility for every team
to head the percentage column, so it
is to be presumed that at least four
clubs in each league will have to be
content with the second division this
year, as in the past. And while we're
on the subject, as everybody else
gives him nothing better than the
cellar, we'll guess one, two, three for
e. Mack \
When the Federal league became
defunct, expressions Of hope were
heard that base ball had finally freed
itself of court actions. But they're
still playing lot of base ball in the
court rooms. The Baltimore Feds
still have their suit on file. The St.
Louis Cards and Browns are getting
ready to wage legal battle for the
services of Branch Hickey. Bill James
threatens to sue the Boston Braves.
A Chicago Cub stakeholder is seeking
a settlement from Charles Taft. The
lawyers have to earn living, you
know.
Hughie Jennings, it is said, has de-
cided not to ask waivers on Sam
Crawford. Probably not. Crawford
hit 1856 last year. He made thirteen
triples and eleven doubles and fielded
in pretty fair fashion. Hughie might
ask waivers on Sam, but getting them
would be something else again.
The time is almost here. Thirty-six
more hours and Nebraska and Iowa
will be fighting for the wrestling SUI
premacy of the world. Bring on the
gladiators.