South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-05-06
WAR AND WEATHER
BLOW TO BASEBALL
Central Schedule First Week
Hit Hard by Cold
Blasts.
by Walter a. PheIan.

BY Waller y. Phelan.
When John Baumbach drafted
the Central league schedule and in
| pursuance 10 the wish Of the direct
ors postponed the opening date a
week later than IL usually was. ev-
| cry mans eye was looking toward
I the possibility Of cold and disagree
able weather playing havoc with the
early dates
They thought they would get
away from the bad weather which
I has. for several years, made the first
round Of games more or less OF n
| failure financially. The fates are
| perverse, however. il looks now as
if the person or persons who dishes
| up the weather had a grudge against
/ Central league owners.
1 Although six of the eight clubs
got into action on opening day last
Thursday the weather was so cold
and disasreeable that only a thou
sand or so fans were in attendance
at each game. Fort Wayne and
Evansville were unable to play en-
account OF rain.
Every club was given a vacation
Friday and yesterday Fort Wayne
and Evansville caught up with the
rest of the league by staging a game
while the other clubs were idle.
Looks Like Hard Year.
IL looks as If everything was
against baseball this year with the
war and the weather cutting ire
mendous figures. The war may not
have much of an Influence upon the
national pastime now, but when the
conscription law goes into effect and
probably the majority Of players are
drafted the result is going 10 place
baseball in a most hazardous posi-
ton for you must have ball players
in order to have a ball team.
Most of the ball players in the
game today. especially those in the
| leagues rated about Glass c, are be-
tween the ages of "a and 80 years.
If anything they are nearer the "a
mark. They are all physically fit
for a player has to be in good condi-
ton 10 stand the six months grind.
Majors and minors alike have felt
the heavy hand of the weather par
| ing down the gate receipts and pill
| ing up the double headers. Some
of the clubs which may have got
ten a bad start are glad TO get an
opportunity TO play the game later
! i'm the year when they Will be go
( ing good but the majority of the
club owners figure that coin in the
treasury now is better than prospec-
| tive lucre a few months from now.
strike Here May BE Felt.
Ed Smiths Central league club
looks as if il was going to be hit
pretty hard by circumstances over
which no one connected with the
club has any control. We refer TO
the street car strike which seems as
far from settlement now as II did
when IL first started
Springbrook park is located two
miles from the center Of town and
the proposition of getting the peO-
pie out 70 the park is a serious one.
Jitney busses may operate back and
forth from town TO the park and IL
will take many jitneys at an average
of four passengers per jitney to maui
the crowd which should 30 out to
the opener.
From the size of the crowds
which sarw the games with Goat An
derson's All-Stars and the first con-
test with the Lansing Reos, the inn
preston was gained that this city
is going to be the banner town in
the circuit in attendance this year.
The second and third contest
with the Reos were not we'll at
| tended on account of bad weather
s-flr hfIf tho 400
who saw the first game and the 500
who saw the second practice game
bore out the impression mentioned
above. The $40 crowd was larger
than many which attended Saturday
and sunday league games at the
park last year
SchettIer's Work Pleases.
Local fans were pleased with ini-
I tial win of the Benders. Louie
/ Schettler's showing was particular
/ IL pleasing and il gives fans the as
surance that one man on the Bender
squad can be depended upon. None
of the other veterans have had a
chance TO prove their worth in a
regular League game yet.
The showing of Reilly and Allen
in the first game gives rise TO the
! belief that smith is going TO have
/ a ball club that can pound out hit
in the pinches and win games.
The Blenders play at Evansville
today and will return To South Bend
TOR the opener "Wednesday. Ed
lSmith is expected home today 10
make arrangements for the opening
game