The sun., 1918-12-29
MAGNATES PROFIT
BY 1918 LESSONS
Get Together Spirit Beginning
to Predominant in Realm
Of Majors.
A TUMULTUOUS SEASON
Ont of Lean War Year Owners
and Players Look for Big
Revival.
A T%UMULTUOUS SEASON
BY sHoRTsToP.

BY sHORTsT0P.
Baseball. in the never to be forgotten
year Of 1918. had a tunultuous twelve
month. The big league campaigns
started about the time that the sprtnG
drive o. the Germans was at Its height,
and the baseball races soon were COM
ple;ely overshadowed. BY the middle of
The season Uncle Sam was throwing
every ounce Of his energy into the great
fracas. and by August brushed baseball
aside as a non-eesential. |
The season peremptorily was closed or
labor Day. though a special dispersal |
ton was granted the big leagues to play !
the worlds championship series after
that date.
In addition TO its outside troubles base
bail went through a year OF internal
wrangling. pickering and controversy
seldom approached In the history Of the
sport. Sources of friction between the
two major leagues, between different
clubs, between owners and players came
Up with daily frequency. Vertically war
was IN the air,
Early in the season Ban johnson,
president OF the American League. Of
ferei a suggestion that the two leagues
ask the Government to grant exemption
from military service TO eighteen players
on each big league club. This suggee-
ton caused resentment throughout the |
entire sporting world. John X. Tener. !
then president of the National League.
was among the most bitter denouncers
Of The proposal.
Ignores Baseball Law.
The breach between Tener and John
son never closed. II reached It's widest
point when Connie Mack, manager Of the
Athletics. backed by johnson. ignored
the ruling Of the National Commission
In the Scott Perry case. The commits
sion awarded Perry TO the Boston Ma
~tionals, but Mack took the case into the
civil courts and procured a temporary
Injunction against the commissions .
award.
Tener refused TO sit as a member Of
the National Commission thereafter and |
also opposed the playing OF the 1918
worlds series until the American League
changed its attitude in the Perry case.
Failing 10 get the backing from his own
club owners, which he deemed essential
TO maintain the league'e dignity. Tener
withdrew entirely from baseball. resign
!hS the National League presidency last
August.
There also were many uprislngs within !
the American League. At a meeting in
Cleveland last summer Harry Frazee
owner of the Boston club; Charles Co
nliskey. owner OF the Chicago club. and
Ozark Griffith. part owner and manager
or the Washington club. drew up n
abatement condemning what they termed |
ce "ru!nous policy" Of President john |
soa.
This feud still was snoulde1ng a, the
american League meeting in Chicago
ehis month, and only recently johnson
threatened 70 Aar'a~a Vko D. |
chise forfeited II Frazee did not sell gu, |
before the 1919 season.
Thinks Good VIII Come.
However. It appears that much good |
will come out OF the many bic |
occurrences baseball underwent IN 1913 !
The leading figures in the sport now are
working on q plan which seeks the COM |
plete rehabilitation OF the pastine under
a new system OF government which will
40 away with the present unsatisfactory
National Commission.
shortly after the arn!s:ice was signed
Harry Frazee. president OF the Boston
Rad Sox. and Harry Hampstead. pres,- |
dent OF the New York Giants. made an
cneI to former President William How
ard Tat 10 act as n sort Of one man
National Commission or arbitrator NJ
baseball. TIE ofre- never had any real
backing, and when tire former President
vas made aware % tina fact re de- ,
c..aed TO give 81; further consideration. !
Many cub owners In baseball still are
strong advocates Of a one man national
commission. and tie men who will
gather in New York in a joint meeting
next month probably will change bare
Ban law IN such a way that a strong |
hgure. with no financial interests in the |
sport. may be procured as suNreme ad- |
rinistrator for baseball.
Artistically the 1918 season was one
o. the poorest in a generation. While
both leagues opened the season with a
formidable lineup OF talent. the heavy |
drafts OF the spring and summer soon |
left managers with mere skeletons OF
teams Many players dld not wait To be
GRATED, and enlisted in the navy. while
another lot left baseball TO enter ship
Yards and munitlon plants Several OF
t1ese plants had teams which could
nave licked most second division clubs In
tie big leagues.
Hurt Their Profession.
While a few ball players entered ship
yards 20 duck military service. such
PLAYERS constituted only 4 small! nj. |
hor'ty. However, they did a vast amount
q. danage 10 their profession, as the
WV '"'N NllnA NV payers 7
on shipyard teams were all draft dodg-
ess As a matter Of fac: most Of these
ayers were family men. who had the
f's.SHt TO enter essential employment |
.-''Ie the work or fight order drove
taeU 20 DO so.
i'" charges OF ~slackcrism frequently
maze against baseball. especially by per-
SON intent on doing the game mischief.
were refuted by the official figures sent
or hy the two major leagues. showing
t'ot baseball had a percentage OF men
IL. service eGualled by few occupations
~ professions.
IN order % keep teams in the field,
.-e."T league managers were obliged 10
o~ deep into the bushes, and many old
.."'5, who never e ected to appear I
san on the big league trail. were
'-ht BACK. Among the players resur-
'l late IN the season were Tommy
IT," n, Jimmy Archer. John Hummel, |
a." Hyatt, Jack Quinn. Jay Kirke,
-".-a boolan and a host OF others.
Despite me great number OF old
u'''ES brought back, many teams quit
season with scarcely enough men 10
cut the nine positions on their last
VIZ 70 Washington. the Yankees had
~ eleven men with them.
naturally the grade OF baseball was
Players did not play with their
.'..s 'a their work, especially during
we -n."'tled state OF affairs when all
were turned TO Washington to learn
" her the work or fight order would
''"s baseball rs a non-essenual.
Two High Grade Machines.
- ,vo Championship teams. the Bos-
yea SON and the Chicago Cubs, -ere