The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-07-20
Big LEAGUES MAY
SOON Be A MEMORY
Bakers Ruling on Work or
Fight Order Knockout
Blow to Baseball.
ny FREDERICK @. LIEB.

ny FREDERICK q. LIEB.
Fond hopes that Secretary Of War
Newton ID. Baken would be the savior of
wartime professional baseball received
solar plexus yesterday afternoon. when
in dismissing an appeal from the work
or fight" order by Eddie Ainsrnlth, the
washington catcher. the War Secretary
ruled baseball to be entirely nonessen-
tial and a comprehensive field Of labor.
The ruling Of the Secretary OF War Is a
sequence TO the original work or nght'
order rendered by Provost Marshsi-t3en
eral Crowder on May %, when he
classed professional sports among non
essentials and threw q bomb into the
ranks Of the baseball magnates, who up
to that time had believed that the Gov
eminent warmly sanctioned their bust
ness and considered baseball a big fac.
tor in keeping UP the national spirit.
Since Gen.. Crowder's order disillu-
stoned such fine sentiments, there have
been suggestions from time TO time that
the order did not pertain TO baseball,
and, IL 1t did, that baseball. at least,
would get q respite until the end of the
season.
First 1t was the President, then the
Secretary Of War, who was to ave the
game, but after the clamlike silence from
Washington on baseball matters. It be-
osufe evident on July that the Crowder
order would be enforced to the letter.
within the last two wesles player after
player was called before his draft board
10 explain why he should not change his
vocation. and with the exception Of the
Dast Orange board On the Finneran case.
each board ruled against the player.
May Close All Parks.
Secretary Bakers order can take on
only one meaning, namely, that major
league baseball will disappear for the pc
Rod Of the war. An attempt may be
made to continue the league races with
veterans over the draft age. and boys
under 81. but such baseball would be
major" only by courtesy.
Bakers order, furthermore. means
that ass big league players, and such
minor league players as survived with
the three struggling minor circuits-tho
American association, the New Inter-
national Lesgue and the Eastern League
must immediately get jobs in munition
factories. shipyards or in other war
plants or be indicted into the National
Army.
OF the 236 major league players ef-
fected by Secretary Bakers order. at
least ninety per cent are married men,
most of whom have children, or have
mothers or other near relatives depend
ent upon their support Pipp of the
Yankees. Speaker OF the Indians and
Nunamaker Of the Browns are . few Of
the class Al men who have not been
called so far. Each has draft number
among the last to be drawn.
A change in employment will mean =
great monetary loss to the average ball
player, the great majority Of whom know
no trade and can do little besides play
ball. While baseball salaries have
srmped considerably since the palmy
Fedora; League days. regular positions
still Melted men in the profession a
Inofitable return. Sallee. the veteran
pitcher Of the Giants. who Is over the
draft age, receives a salary of Sc, 900 a
year, which would indicate baseball
values still are high. When Mathewson
was at his best in 1905, and won a
worlds series for the Giants with three
successive shutouts, he drew only $4,000.
Hard Blow 10 Club Owners.
Whether the baseball fan deserved
more consideration from Secretary Baker
was a question for the War Secretary
u
fact, however, that baseball was draw
Ing better than 1t did last year. and the
Yankees had visions of a banner season
Despite the fact that the club had lost
hvs straight games, close to $4,000 per-
sons paid to see last Thursdays double
header with Detroit.
A patriotic impulse to obey the Gov
ernment's latest order seems to sctuate
all baseball magnates. but most OF them
cannot hide a feeling that tho Govern
ment was unnecessarily hard on sport
which has served as the nations sum-
iuer recreation for the last generation,
and all for the purpose of adding about
$50 unskilled laborers to war plants.
In voicing his sentiments on the Baker
order John Heydler. secretary OF the
National League, who among baseball
men holds the reputation as being tho
fairest man in baseball" made no ef-
fort to disguise this fact.
HeydIer Disappointed.
we are glad TO serve the Government
IN any way" said Heydler. land II shut
ting our parks will help in any way we
will gladly do so. However, l must admit
that baseball people are grievously dis
appointed over the decision OF Secre-
tary Baker, as We thought we were de-
serving as much consideration as theat-
fleal and moving picture performers
engaged as we are, in a clean, whole
some outdoor sport. While II is true
Secretary Baker now intImates the order
may be broadened in It's scope TO take
In theatrical men, the present Crowder
order explicitly gives them exemption on
me ground that they render public
amusement. III
think as long as we received no in
umat!on that our business would be in
corrupted In the spring. we should have
neeh permitted TO carry out our con-
FhCts with our players.
i believe. however. every effort will
De made TO continue baseball throughout
me season. ! think the various clubs
WIZ recruit new teams from men over
and under the draft age. particularly
under lot OF young players In the
a'Nerent cities would jump at the chance
20 wear the uniforms of their teams, and
mink that the baseball public. really
ing our predicament and retaining their
iohnness for our great outdoor sport
would support such teams"