New-York tribune., 1918-01-14
Diamonds a Stage
By Louis Lee AIMS

Some were surprised that Harry
trazee, Broadway Snowman, made
good as magnate in baseball. Mr..
frazee owns the Boston Red Sox.
Ihey feared his training in press
agentry and production might bring
to baseball touch of artiticc that
would be resented
so, it is interesting to note, Frazee
IN his first year at the wheel stepped
his directors into q handsome divi-
dend and in every essential lived up
to what is popularity considered to be
the ideal as magnate. in time he
may be a second Comiskev. The
odd Roman" is the paragon Of Poo
Bahs.
1t is our humble opinion that the
show business is the best kind of
training for professional baseball.
McGraw is the greatest of uncon-
scious dramatists. He makes "situa-
tons and invests them with stirring
cilmaxes. Whether embroiled with
rlVal manager or a baseball writer,
McGraw is always playing part,
and sometimes, we think, not so un-
consciously.
Grand Stand Player
Charles Lincoln Herzog is a direct
grandstand player and boasts of it,
He knows a man has to do something
besides hit and field to appeal to the
crowd. What the crowd wants is act
ing, so Herzog acts. Il has meant
thousands of additional dollars to
him, and in that it is entertaining
rather than Objectionable it is actu-
ally to be desired. You like it; so
do we.
George Burns is a splendid ball
player, mechanically much finer to
gaze upon than Herzoe. but on the
road and even at home Hcrzog is a
card, while Burns is National
League baseball player
Since the days Of big salaries and
million dollar plants baseball has
grown to be moro and more stage
with players on it. The Washington
Club gives advance notice when Wal
tor johnson is to pitch. The extra
dollars at the gate mean more than
corceivabiy "crossing up" the oppo-
sition
Nick Altrock and Germany schaefc-
are carried along after they have
passed the age of usefulness because
they are cards Hughe Jennings
capitalizes his histrionic abilities as
a coach. a tomperamcrtal icvc1e,
Miller Hugg;ns, works himself into
pseudo frenzy over an umpores de-
clsion, waves his arms and stamps
his feet because he knows the crowd
likes that
A ball player canned from the game
devises and executes the most spec
tacular exit possible. A batter called
out on strikes communicates his dis
pleasure 20 the crowd by the best
acting Of which he is capable. An
lnhclder bootlng a simple grounder.
If ne IS Il born actor, rubs his arm to
indicate a bad bound. Outfelders
Jockey with the sun, and even UNI
pires try 10 act their darndcst N
handing down grave decisions
Baseball "Show''
Double headers are arranged. so
far as they may be in accordance
with league rules, so they Will at
tract the best gates The world
series is handled with all the adroit-
ness OF Follies' first night. We
have never seen baseball magnate
who was unwilling to theatricallze
baseball to the extent Of taking ad-
N"iiloSC VI an uIS|fpS~ttu loiiNty
To them baseball is q show game
with the probable expenses and in
take figured in advance. That's why
nine-tenths of them are in it.
One Of the greatest critics of base
ball is John B. Sheridan, OF St. Louis
who annually turns out the fastest
-yearold team it ever has
been our privilege to watch Mr.
Sheridan knows as much baseball as
the average major league manager
But he takes no interest in the bal
player when he has passed off ths
sand lots. Big money and the
wrong kind of atmosphere spoils the
professional as sheerly ball player
Sheridan once remarked to us
Liking the drama of some of our
most incorrigible actors in profes-
i, sional baseball we do not coincide
with Sheridan's view Baseball is
better to us for the color in ii. But
that color is more often than not
Fictitious.
We would like to see Jake Shubert
running the Giants for season.