The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-08-07

With the fate Of big league baseball
during the war still undecided. the
major league moguls are busy already
figuring out how they can make up
for the money they will lose because
Of war conditions.
And what is the first move they
Cutting down the salaries of the
players.
This isn't a plea on behalf Of the
players. 1t is printed merely to show
the general spirit that has guided the
magnates of late years. The minute
their pocketbooks are hit they begin
to yell and Wiggle. The public or the
players pay the freight, not the mo
guls.
List to what Fred Mitchell, manag-
er Of the Cubs, has to say:
Big league baseball will be run
much less extensively after the
war. New contracts will be drawn
and ball players Will be forced to
play for smaller salaries than
they now get.
Baseball faces a tough prOpOsi-
tton. People are finding other at
fractions to satisfy them, and IL
the teams play slow and indifRer-
emit ball from now to the finish 1T
will be hard blow to the game.
Contracts which have two and
three, years to rum probably will
be void after Sept. 1. When these ,
contracts are drawn after the war
men who have been receiving
fabulous salaries probably will
have to accept big cuts.
When baseball had the players tied
hand and foot by ironclad contracts
that gave the magnate 100 per cent
+
any howl.
When the Federal league sprang I'D
and the facts concerning ball PLAYERS
salaries and contracts came to light,
the magnatcs Wiggled in their high
chairs and cried about the way they
were being Eimmed by the naughty
players.
When the war tax was added to the
admission at the ball parks the mag
mates arranged to snatch a few more
thousand dollars on the plea that the
fans didn't want to bother with pen
mes AS 1t is we've got to spend a
lot OF money for change machines"
they how1ed.
30 they were set for their usual big
profits despite war times when the
government decided baseball was not
an essential occupation.
The magnates see a. lean neriod
coming and instead Of waking up to
the fact that they are partly to blame
for this because of their money-grab-
bling tactics, they are continuing the
same line of action and are busy plan
ming how to reap more dough as soon
as our boys at the front have finished
lighting the battle for democracy.
We sincerely hope, though. that
there will be some kind of a house
cleaning in big. league circles when
the game is revived in full force after
the war. In fact the vacuum cleaner
may be necessary before the fans will
stand for the game again. Who
knows?
Aaron Ward, utility infelder of the
Yankees, played one complete inning
in game at Cleveland recently. and
IT was very busy inning, too He re-
PPta os PIeck KIN nIgl when the Yam,
half Of the eighth inning and threw
out three men in succession. Wood
Turner and Farmer all grounded to
the new member Of the infeld. In the
Yankees half of the ninth Ward blew
himself to hit and followed up by
stealing second. Thus in a single in
ming he handled three chances in the
field and got a single and a stolen
base. :
One Of the things that are begin
ming to receive consideration from Of
ficials Of the national lawn tenn,y as
ISOLATION is the possibility of secur-
ing players from the Pacific coast
for the national championship
tournament when it is decided at
Forest Hills.
It has been suggested that there
is the possibility Of Maurice E.. Me-
Loughlin again getting into action.
The appearance Of the mighty Cali
fornia Comet would undoubtedly be
the signal for the furore Of enthusi-
asm. The big fellow who put the
red blooded punch in lawn tennis is
the idol of the courts and the cham
pionship at Forest Hills would go
with a whiZz bang If he is available
for the entry list.
It is generally admitted that If
Mclaughlin can get leave Of absence
from his post Of duty in the United
States navy he will be doing his bit
multiplied ten fold by helping along
the plans of the administration to-
ward keeping the nation physically
fit.