The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1918-09-05
WAR INTERESTS
INTERFERE WITH
WORLD SERIES
Chicago Nationals and Boston
Americans Make Belated
Start in Battle.
sSv Associated Pressl

CHICAGO, Sept. 5.-The Chicago
Nationals and Boston Americans at
2:3O this afternoon will make be.
lated start In their battle for the base
ball championship of the world. The
weather permitting, the clubs were to
play here today, tomorrow and Satur.
day and will entrain for Boston,
where the remainder of the big series
will be staged, beginning Monday, I'M
Til one club has won four games.
Despite the fact that the phesent
series marks the swan song of base
ball until after the war, interest was
at lower ebb this year than ever
before, in the opinion of worlds SER
les veterans. Threatening weather
may have been responsible, but only
a handful OF spectators gathered for
the early morning watch yesterday,
and even fewer were there today. The
advance sale of tickets. however, it
was announced, was up to eXpecta-
tons. Managers OF both clubs said
today they contemplated no eleventh
hour changes in their lineup There
VISA possibility, however. that Dave
Dugan might be replaced in the Red
Sox infield as result of a split fin
ger sustained in practicing Tuesday
Jack Coffey was picked to substitute
in case the injured second baseman
proved unable to perform. Following
is the batting order:
Boston - Hooper, IF: Shean. 2b;
Strunk, CT; Ruth, II; McInnis, ID;
Scott, SIS; Coffey or Thomas, 3b;
Schang, c; Mays or Bush, p.
Chicaeo-Flack, RI; Hollscher. SIS;
Mann, If: Paskert, CT; Merkle. ID;
Pick. Oh; Deal, 3b; Killifer, C; Vaughn
or Taylor, p.
Vaughn for the Cubs and Mays for
the Red Sox were considered premier
mound possibilities. Manager Mitch
ell expected to put his best bet fore
most by starting his giant left hand
er, while Boston prognosticators claim
Barrow would start Mays and Meld
Bullet" Joe Bush under wraps for
use later on in the coming crisis.
should any develop.
Visiting magnates were unanimous
In the verdict that the present series
Is demonstrating beyond all daubt
that interest in professional baseball
has waned, for the duration of the
war at least. 1t was pointed out that
among the spectators today were a
large percentage of uniformed men,
on furloughs from Camps Grant and
Custer and from the Great Lakes ma
val training station, and there was
conspicuous absence of men Of mill
tary age on the bleachers. Magnates
said that the patronage OF the men
in the service could not be couned on
to support the game appreciably and
that the adjournment for the period
of the war therefore would have been
advisable without the mandate of the
war department. Public interest has
turned overseas, the magnates declar-
ed. and in the same breath predicted
that from a financial standpoint this
years series would not equal it's for
mer successes.
Out OF town delegations this year
were smaller than ever before.
Illustrative Of the argument that
baseball is proving an unpopular war
time sport, Phil Ball, president OF the
St. Louis American league club, said
compliance with the suggestion OF
President Ban Johnson would have
saved his club $4,000. He said his
losses on the Browns last eastern
trim totalled that amount.