Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-10-23
MAJOR LEAGUE OWNERS
FEAR GAMBLING CL|QUEs
Thoughtful Baseball Promoters May
Take Stand To Fight Betting
Syndicutcs.
PAsTNIE IS IN GRAVE DANGER
Wagcrs and Pools Help Kill Fans
Interest in Game for Itsclf-PoSsi-
bility of Sport Being Barred by
State Laws.
Especial TO Tho Times Dispatch

~
CHICAGO. Oct. 80 Thoughtful base
BAH promoters who have the nest m
terestS Of their business in view are
beginning 10 w3rry about the way
ing 10 the NATIONAL p4sliinc during the
last year There alwayt has been
betting on bal games. and always
will be bur most Of ii has been OF ,Ee
promiscuuus haphn2ard kind in which
sentiment was The determining factor.
WIN the quick resumption or inter
appeareu the menace WllcA 50 h'3fiH
wrecked The gam" back IN the dark
sary Tor the. National League to bar
from its ball park foreve" quartet
OF players who We're found guilty Of
having de2linsS WITH S9mhlinE
q dishonest liylnS out OF base ball. Eut
for that 2ction there probably never
c,nincn; Chicago jurist only Il few
wears ago labeled "a national ins;itu-
ton"
Up In Club owners.
II Is now up to the club owners to
protect baseball from the gamblers and
r9nScrNc the. nations pastimc as a
safety value for the explosion of~eNcess
"a Thers is lt'Ie HARM Of course in
iootcr backs MS iavoriTje team for a
moderate amount against u similar
bEnch Of coin owned h}. friend who
likes the Other team. Even II hun
TaEcrcd on one game by iwo hundred
thousand fans There would be no ser!-
Gus danger. because The bets would be
SO diversified.
But If those hundred thousand wasers
were concentrated into one or into this
Glands OF syndicate, al! the SEMI.
x would become purely business
0ropos.tion. with all ;he. chances in the
world that unfair methods would nc
used TO make D. successful business
proposition. organized baseball mus;
Tight organized gambling o. there w'A
he another great sport barred 10y the
laws OF many states
ropuinri'y Now NJ Crest.
Baseball right now is on the food
tide Of popularity. 1t has been given
The sanction OF The administration.
both civil aud military. as "a clean.
lealthful amusement Recovery from
the effects o; the war have been re
1narkable this year This has been
aided by the action of states like New
York which have leealized sunday
laws OF the East The action OF The
commission which governs Washing
ton ~ permitting sunday games dur
ing the war VAS a pr!m: factor in
determining the attitude OF some OF
these Sta'cs
This extremely valuable public sen
est asset baseball MAJ, There must
be no hesitation in performing any
operation Tor Tho removal OF dan
EerouS members of organized base
ball There arc some Of Them who
tolerate gambling inside their own
through the turnstiles. They mus, he
made 10 see Tho menace which never
was greater than at present,
Gambling IIills Sentiment.
The latent danger ia the trcmen-
douS amount OF coin that is hct on
nasebali in one way or anOthc. is food
Tor thought. II has not vet boon CON
centrated III few hands II il is.
then look for scandal and trouble.
y Sreal deal of the sentiment NJ.
feauE has been extracted from base
IAN by the nationwide evil OF base
ball pools, by which pikcr tries 10
win some coin on the number Of runs
scored ~ given set OF teams in a
N@rE THAT Is being extended TO i'm
'!Nde the number of base hits by cer-
tam players. II may he worked ont
i'm various other ways until the last
thing baseball IAN Will care about
- me result Of bail game. When
mat happens. there viii be about as
much real interest in baseball as in a
wheel Of fortune at "a state fair.
me only reason why fans will nav
70 gel INTO bail parks will be ID nI,;.
me wheel II II is permitted TO operate.
u no, the parks VIII be far too bjg,
Decans" the public .well jlrcfcr 10
p ft.l ticker fc.1 i. ttins ana no
witr TAX. ana will 'coigregatc only
where betting is permitted.