Omaha daily bee., 1917-05-06
Judgments

UNLESS the weather man relent
soon, the Western league i
likely to run into financial dis
ttess before the season get
well under way. There are no mil
lionaites among the Western leagu'
magnates. Hanlon Of Sioux City !
probably the only one who has suffi
Gent independent income to accep
his base ball losses without looking VI
the bankruptcy laws. The other sever
magnates are more or less dependent
upon the incomes their base ball clubs
provide. s Omaha was the only club
in the league last year that returned
even a shade of profit, it can be seen
the Zehrung circuit cannot survive too
many bad days. The Western league
would probably find the going pretty
rough under the most favorable cir
cumstances and fighting the weather
man, too, may prove too many odds.
It's up to the fans to turn out strong
when the weather is fairly decent, II
they hope to have their favorite pas
time preserved.
Benny Leonard has about conclu-
siyely demonstrated to the box fight
experts that he will punch Freddie
Welsh into jelly II Freddie can eyer
be coaxed into ring for a long dis
sance joust with Benny. Benny has as
much chance of getting Welsh to
scrap twenty rounds as Ty Cobb OF
getting a birthday gift from the
Giants. Leonard may be a better
boxer than Welsh, but when 1t comes
to safety first and protecting a title,
Freddie has no rivals. That light
weight title means a lot Of money to
Welsh because the fans always turn
oft in large numbers In the hope OF
seeing him licked. As soon as he Is
shorn of the championship Welsh will
be a very poor drawing card because
his style OF boxing Is not attractive.
II LEONARD succeeds in eoaxing Welsh
into the ring with him, he'll be ac-
complishing more OF wonder than II
he pummels Freddie In the bout.
The world of sport seems to be
calming down after a period OF hys-
terra brought about by the declaration
of state OF war. Professional sports
are resuming the even tenor OF their
ways. Base ball Is fighting the
weather, but early season enthusiasm
indicates that the fans will be on deck
in as large numbers as before when
the sun gets back on the job. Boxing
and wrestling matches are being held
right along. Three universities and
athletic unions which went, off half
cooked and called of activities have
seen their mistake. Others that wait
ed for further developments are plan
ming to proceed with full programs.
Abandoning all sport activities would
be a most serious error. Rather they
should be encouraged, for they relieve
the tension an give opportunities to
Danish the worries and woes which
every one faces in war times.
Red sox hurlers are again accused
Of deliberate use OF the "bean ball"
Dutch Leonard, Babe Ruth, and Carl
Mays, against whom the charge has
been made for two years now. have
all occasionally sailed the ball sus-
piciously close to the battef's head In
games this spring and Mays did drive
slant into the Uranium Of Thrashef
Of the Athletics. Thrasher was lucky
he wasn't dangerously hurt. It's about
time the powers that be took these
Red Sox hurlers in hand. The Boston
hurters may not have Intentionally
thrown the "bean balls" but they have
done it so often one cannot but sus-
pect. It's dangerous practice, It's
risking far too much to jeopardize a
mans safety merely to make him plate
shy, and the pitcher who will do II has
no place in base ball.
Pitching no-hit games is getting TO
be a common occurrence. A no-hit
game used to be an event and was
regarded In the light OF a great
achievement. Already this year In the
big league Eddie Cieotte, George Mo-
gfidge. Fred Toney and jim Vaughn
have ohucked nine innings without
permitting. MT. AZ that rate me
year would END win as many nom. n.
are one and two-hit games. For some
unaccountable reason the pitchers
seem to have an UNUSUAL edge on me
batters this year. Sluggers maven
found their batting eye, while hufiers
are working IN ilidseason form. W
dinarily IT'S Just the other way round.
But that's what makes base ball susli
a fascinating sport, the unaccountapie'
II Connie Mack could see me way
Shag thompson y playing tnis year
he might regret shipping tne sarg BIZ :