The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1918-03-25

Further, it is a team that has been
rather cunningly constructed by Fred
Mitchell, past master in the art of de-
feEsive play. He has pointed his ball
club to beat two teams-New York and
Cincinnati, both teams that can outhit
his own. He has framed defense that
can or should hold the two leaders, and
which will have hard time beating
clubs much weaker than Cincinnati and
Chicago.
But the ball playing end of the Chicago
club is one of the least of the worries.
Here is a team with almost as many
Owners" as it has players. 1t is owned
by men who are baseball cranks 1t is
owned by men who. in the main, know
baseball from the box seats. The con-
test is not between the Cubs and the
other clubs of the league but between
Manager Mitchell and his man and the
owners.
If someone can persuade Messrs Las
ker, Walker, Schuettler, Weeghman, ct.
al. to go fishing up in northern Canada
out of reach of the telegraph and stay
until October, this team win run one,
tive. three with a corking chance of win
ming a championship. If they stay in
Chicago the Cubs will be lucky to finish
fifth and may make it sixth or seventh
for good measure.
FUED ON
The playing strength of the team really
counts very little unless other conditions
are adjusted. There is feud on be-
tween the owners and the players-on
the part of the players at least. The
nj interference
with their affairs by men they know do
not know much about the game. Last
season stockholders stood in the area
way and "bawled OUT players for their
mistakes. The result was bitter feeling.
In fact twice I was called upon to act
as intermediary to prevent one player
from busting an owner in the nose. "
The stockholders, having been scorched
in pocket and burned in print, may be
less likely to interfere this season than
last, but the ownership is big prob
lem. During the winter the club has In
'dulged in disgusting line of cheap pub
Iicity which has soured many of the
fans. The advertising that the club was
willing to spend $3.50, 100000 for new play
ers did not fit we'll with the fact that
half or more, of the players received
contracts calling for reduced salaries.
Ball players are queer animals. They
figure in odd ways. But when fellow
drawing $3.50 q year reads in the paper
that the club is willing to pay fortune
for new player and then gets notice
that his salary is cut to $500 it is drilled
into his head that the management
thinks he is second rater and not
worth half as much is some fellow he
can beat playing but who happens to be
on another club.
Besides that, it is reported that the
contracts were sent out without even q
''salve' letter accompanying them sim
ply a contract with cold figures and no
explanation.
These things all have effect upon teams
: and will have on the Chicago team be-
ycnd any doubt.
STOCKHOLDERS BUT IN
Please don't get the idea from this
that the Chicago owners are a terrible
burch. Fact is they are crowd of good
fellows. who have been fans for years,
some of them have been wild-eyed fans.
The point is. would bunch of half
dozen front-row fans at any game
make successful managers? No one dis
putes their right to run the club they
own and, in spite of critics, owners have
some rights, The thing they do not APP
pear to realize is that ball player would
take advice or orders or criticism from
a stranger in the left field bleachers
rather than from an owner. Besides ynat
the Chicago owners deny with all ear
nestness any interference with or dicta-
tion to Mitchell. Some of them are in
digEant when accused. Last summer one
bawled me out for saying he was ham
pering Mitchell, declared he never had
said a word to player that season and.
inside of 20 minutes, he stopped a player
coming from the clubhouse and told him
what he should have done in the game.