The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1918-03-12

Trouble Ahead
For Magnates
Of Big Clubs
Soon TO Realize the Lack Of
Preparedness for
War Ball,

CHICAGO. March - baseball club
owners have ind all winter 10 prepare
| for what everyone else, except those
most ylialy intctrSied, expects 10 De
tough season They have done prhc-
trnlly nothing 10 prepare for li ln that
respect they are nH ypiunlly American 40
their government which does not be.
lipyp In crossing bridges before reach.
ing them. although II takes time 10 bulld
bridges
Professional baseball promoters hppar-
emily believe In no methods Oi rcttrurh
ncut uuul necessary When necessary
10 VIII bo too tate" except hy meas
urcs that must be hastily devised and
which. experience has shown, VIII prove
more costly than HurCcHHiul
Thy same long ana CongrHird playing
schedules have been adopted by the
major leagues Those charts contain
TnllrOnd jumps which were difficult Co
make under normal conditions and which
VIII prove impossible during the coming
season IOHtpOucmcuts In this account
viii increase the doublohcadcrs which
are ono Of tho evils Of tlc sport
Revenue VIII Be Rttueed.
Training trips have been Curtallcd I'm
duration, hut not I'm mileage This viii
reduce their value In tho matter Of pre-
pairing players for tho pcnnhnt races
ana win increase their cost, since cI-
ponHes viii remain practically tho same
and tho revenues from exhibition games
viii be- reduced
Players salaries have been continued
on u six months basis when q major
nv Uf them could have been reduced to
five months There has been some sal
Hry reduction, but there have been some
salary Increases Some Of tho proposed
cuts will not be made because there IN
n COterle Of players who will hold out
for bigger wages In ignorance or disre.
! gard uf tho outlook The players should
/ IA lBnU fhN I'm UE YUllH
! last, and they cannot well be blamed ~
| long as the owners parade their bank
rolls In public
Interest Deeper Than Pocket.
Perhaps this II none of our business
| We have no coin invested In any club
or In the national pastlme Conse-
| Quently II may SOUND hssy FOR US 10
complain Of the lack Of foresight eNhlb-
| licd by the promoters But our interest
goes deeper than tho pocket W. earn
csily want 10 see baseball survive the
war, not only as an amateur sand lOt'
sport but s popular amusement en-
| tefpTiHc
There Ii no worry about IT, survival
| on tho lots, although one sees more Kids
| playing with toy guns and swords than
with baseballs and bats these days Rut
! there u considerable doubt about tho
ability Of the promoters TO continue the
game as A popular pastime along profess
| slonal lines without radical changes
II In true number Of the present club
owners can sustain considerable losses
nlthOut going broke Some Of them are
ven willing to do 50 TO keep the game
i've and regard their willingness ns
utt OF patriotism. Rut there are other
upH In the majO lenRues which cannot
'lnnd 10 lose much more One or two
I uf them were rather hard pressed last
| fall TO meet all obligations
sixteen Clubs Must Play.
! II TeuuiTps n last gINteep Tluh
ere TO finance two major leagues with
well balanced circuits Competition and
. rivalry are most essential to the sport
| There II great rivalry between Chicago
and New York. but II an attempt were
! made 10 play lbi game schedules with
| only those two cities represented. inter
| est would disappear for lack ~ variety
over a million Americans between the
/ ages Of II and 81, from whom baseball
/ has drawn It's steadlest patronage, have
! heen Withdrawn for the nations army
| and navy. II they remain In this COun-
| try during the summer they will be
guests instead Of patrons OF baseball
| More VIII be withdrawn ns long ~ this
| war lasts The Incomes of non-com-
hatants, as rule. have been and Will
| hr reduced by taxes, higher cost of
! lVlng, and by subscriptions 10 war bonds
| ana charities For tho average Amrri-
can baseball fan win sacrifice his Rmusc-
| mcnt gladly to help win tho war The
| lhhorlng man, who Ia prnftlug aA class
| hy the war, win be kept too busy to go
| days
In couple ot months from now base
hall promoters VIII begin TO realize some
~ these things and see their mistakes
" the winter We, Tor one" shall not
ierl any sympathy for thcm Recently
We received a letter from Capt 4 /.
huston, part owned NJ tho New York
Yankees aud now commanding a cumpan,
oi United states engineers In France
II WIS written last january and con,
tanned this plea addressed 10 baseball
! writer's.
Won't some oi You fellows Tin II NJ
To IN" owners of baseball that there liz Q
! war going ON over here They probably
! nave not heard about II They ucvc
, seem 10 know what Ia going on outgId
their own little rut"
e We have been trying TO tip them of
l Cap, hut with little success