New Britain herald., 1917-01-20

The present baseball squabble be-
owners is emblematic of the entire
country-a country with no team play.
with divided interests country
grown fat and soft, where any thought
of sacrifice is too abhorrent to be con-
sidered. The same thing goes for
baseball. There is no thought of team
play between the main factions of the
game, no thought Of trying and gett-
ing together for the general good of
the game. Just at present the en-
tire mix-up is so complex and twisted
that 1t seems to be beyond any solu-
ton. Yet ust a briejf mixture of fair
play and common sense should settle
the entire matter in an hour.
The Hitch.
The main hitch Is the battle Of a
triangle.
l.. The Major Leagues or the Ma
tional Commission.
2. The Minor Leagues Association
8. The Players Fraternity.
The major leagues are willing to
grant have granted-all the Fra
ternity asks. The Minor Leagues
association have not. The triangle
goes to smash. Goes to smash be-
cause there is no substance of team
play scattered among the three lead
ing factors.
The Squabble.
One thing must be granted, first of
all. The players are entitled to a.
Fraternity, and the Fraternity is en-
titled to. a fair hearing before all
baseball courts, major or minor.
1t is our belief that the demands
made by the Fraternity are just The
major leagues have granted them.
1t is now a matter as to whether the
Fraternity should call a sympathetic
strike or major league players to en-
force minor league demands.
This Is where the majors enter with
a loud, reverberating roar. They
can't see where they should be
punished for something they can't en-
force. And this part of their COM
plant looks to be as reasonable as
the original complaint Of the Fraterni-
ty.
If a ball player. under reserve. Is
ordered to report to a training camp
he should have his travelling ex-
penses paid. If the club can't afford
to do this, then give the player the
option of paying his own way or get
ting his release. This should end the
minor league argument. But 1t has
nothing to do with the majors, who
have granted all this
The main trouble is that all three
divisions seem to be looking for a
fight. in place of looking for a fair
settlement. If the fight comes the
losers will be the major league
owners and the ball players. It won't
be the public. A railroad strike or
a street car strike lands first upon the
public's neck But with baseball
strike started, the public will merely
get out from under, find other amuse-
ments, and soon let the old game skid
merrily to Gehenna and all points
below.
The Main Trouble.
In place of the division now at
hand, baseball today should be form
ing a compact front against growing
foes, in the last few years the movies,
golf, tennis and automobiling have
begun to entice away the fan to other
fields Of recreation and amusement.
These four elements have undoubt-
eddy cut in heavily upon the n. P.
And all four will continue to grow
through the future and to carry others
away from the grandstand or the
bleachers.
Facing four foes of this dimension,
basebalrs only chance for growing
future is from team play by all con-
cerned-a compact resistance to the
outside attack
But in place of this, exactly the
opposite is true. In place of team
play there is open war among all
factions-with the movies waiting at
! and IS cents throw-with golf
and tennis calling with an appeal that
/ new thousands are hearing every year.
And to meet this one league presi-
dent is calling for the overthrow of
the Fraternity; and the Fraternity is
calling for a strike 1t would be ex-
actly the same as if France suddenly
switched to invade England and Eng
land in turn suddenly launched an
attack on Russia. You have a faint
idea of what might happen II this took
place. So you can develop a hazy
bunch as to what will happen if the
main factions in baseball fail to get
together.
To settle this matter the National
Commission President Fultz Of the