The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1917-10-25

Basoall Is goinE To miss Ban Johnson
hadivf ne Is drafted by lrc'- sam 'S
n ms,oer OF thr big business c"hHllS'
sion shirh. according - rumor. Will DE
sent France u Srapplc with our ec"n"
omIcprohlcmS there.
In this connection. tho word nrait
is hrdly applicable because Johnson Is
a vduntccr. I happen I" Know tha' NC
ofre.ed his services when w. entered the
wa and that ne is now giving up every
thing 70 serve his country
Baseball may need Johnson more Rhan
eyer next season because the professions
al end Of the sport may have I" nc PUT
on a new basis il the war continues.
..Hiy Ban" is n genius at organization,
and has always been able TO cope WIN
threatening situations. However. the
Government needs such men. ana. rs
every line Of business is giving them up.
Mr.. Johnson probably feels It Is MS
duty to ga.
Ran Johnson Is great student OF
military affairs. have been told that
he has visited practically all or the
great Backgrounds uf the Civil War ana
that he can relate even the rilnGt"St &C.
tails Of these ENGAGEMENTS. IL Is
hobby with him. II" had an uncle VINO
wrote one ~ the hest histories OF the
Civil War. and VII" knows but what ban
Johnsc, may b. an able historian OF tne
world war. He WAS writer. you
know before II. hcram. baseball eN-
erutivc.
1t has been known for long time 'hai
Johnson felt h. must take a more :tttN"
mar, in tn. war ':lnI therefore. was
not surprise! whrn Il" announced uCr-
INK tn. worlds series ne ;ntsndeu 10
offer his services.
From TIM. - ;iu.". johnson has
threatened IT, r..tir. FROM haS"ht!l ana
let a younger ,nrn run tn" American
League, hu, he was never taken serious
H. in tha, respect until now. fs'hE
natural fighter H. could not retirs "he'
the Federal l.ragt, was making WIZ "''
organized baseball and now conditions
are so uncertain ,;hat big men are hHcu
cd in thr executive, end III tn" game.
ArnuuI \.w York il iS rn,uruon talk
that Ed Barrow Will succeed Johnson
as president ut the American League.
BARROW naturally refuses 10 discuss H.
However,. where liner" is 80 n!uch smoke
there must h,. some hrc.
The American League r"adu"tS rs NJ
fairs with pr;trtr'niiy u" Internal "ls
ScnSiuuS. That il liz" 10 Johnson )
strong grasp "a 1t. y strong hat VIII
be needed az his successor. # h" goes
thinks Ed Barrow nils thu httl ana t'sh
sureS up I" thu. specifications.
Barrow is certainly practical hase-
hill man FL. has h"riI ptHEcf Il
manager Of RIr i."aS:.. teams. ana moab
of one If tn" strongest niu"r leagues
in the country. think his hiSh:S' r.
commentator IS the way rs kept the IN
t,rnatiural .t.";igu.. alive III tn" FAC" OF
every conceivable. disaster. Tn man -
a bull-dur. ami h" has JuSt E"f'%
through such Il t,rht as Johnson had |"
wage when h" ha;;lcd III" Eati"ull La
sue for existence years ago.
II Johnson is u retire. ne coutd not
hand over his responsibilities 10 more
,,nahl. person than Ed harrow.
\ friend al yin, put I up 20 me ms
way recently:
How will thr lSia, l."a"l;"S meet the
shortage "t Young players next season
il the war continues: he. SAID
frankly told hIu | did NOT Know. nuI
I. is my opinion that the schedule VIII
h. played as usual IN l?lS. though It
nav b.. shortened t. II" games or less.
Tn, afraid. though. HAT there VIII b.
very li;I. minor t";iSu" hall. Thu MINORS
a,,nIoy thousands Of voting athletes and
ASurh nat-ria! will y" T"ry scarce.
an,:cipat.. that the general feeling
about baseball i that we need X IN
war time a. /. recreation. There Will De
enough ratronaS" in III" lar"" cities ="
cover operating expenses "a Il reduced
s,:,l.. SaIari.~ Wit undoubtedly br low
cred and team limits ca.
N.hn, W.. cannot a,In'!pa;r is tho p7b-
lies atiitr.l.. toward baseball II YOUNG
mon of military age appear on tn" teams
,ft.r oar troops h''Sin 10 sustain heavy
war losses.
I!as.h:,ii players ar. going into the
ranks eyer. day. and | autIripat" thl'
q majority Of tn. niru az th.' biz league
tearns neXt season viii b" ABOVE tn.
dr,f, aye This may give employment:
- many veterans who could not "ih"r-
rise hold on. If the teams ar" srrni*,
matched tn" games will not lose a':E
thrills.
HAY. .oS; S"ns S"nh prospects "uE
~ Cincinnati: ard ! cannot plan my
o1S team wiki any assuranS" that C"r-
ain valuable. players will h'' On deck
,.xt Snriug. However, all manaS" -;
re in the sam" boat.
hrli... was amos" the nrSt :"
mention tn. pn~Sihiii.y OF Mt:i"r hug
ptSS becoming an American League fnhu-
ger Th:;: WAS evidently h"t ny.
because TIN. newspaper t"ES ar: Sildl
handing II cut.
bov,. t,.en told. while Colonel Nup-
Nor, did. no: att",nnr :" approach ttig-
gins during IN" llayihS season. tha; II"
nry.r,hrlcSs Followed Hugs work cioS"-
". and n. ,niCh, nav' Sict'"d him h"!nf'
this. but :"r certain ir"tnhtur" us
closures tha: wrr" must EMBARRASSING.
When heard Ira Thomas was going
Mo 1nanar.. N" Cardinals. | couldn't hg-
a,re our the connection. HG' hiv" Sia"'
learned That Ira ~ Il cl"S" friend az
p-,pcb Hjckny's 50 it IS possible th"r''
&c something in this r'I!nor.
hardly hclIcv" f!nGSInS would wan;
m remain IN s.. Louis II b" !"tt the
Cardinals. 80 will v"ntur" a rr"drc-
lion that ne will II" IN "harC" 1T ;h"
YANKEES next season. Hug is Il smart
baseball man and Il Srrapp"r. MaE'
he can liven up IN" Yankees. seldom
sec th:,, team, in action. h"i many trI' mis-