The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-12-29
BASEBALL STAGES
GREAT COMEBACK
IN 1919 SEASON
Although in Course of Recon-
StruCtiOn, National Game
Returned in All Its Glory.
Prospects Bright for 1920.

Baseball has thriyed this year de-
spite the fact that it is undergoing a
sort Of reconstruction. Early, in the
year the club owners Of the major
leagues agreed that basebalrs triumvl-
iate-the national commissiCn--mus o.
reVamped in the matter Ot appointing a
new chairman to succeed Garry Herr
mann. Mr. Herrmanu recently an
nouneed his intention of stepping out,
ana shortly after the New Year is born
new chairman will be named lnlS
- an important move for baseball, ana
IL mad its birth during 1919
The American league, torn b" inter-
raj strife for the first time since it was
ceedings and the squabbing of rival
factions. Yet despite internal conflict
the league prospered during the year,
as did the staid old National.
Ban johnson and mis- five loyal club
owners, fighting against the RUPERT
COM skey- Frazee faction. furnished
some baseball history, Yet the wise
acres of the game predict that all dlt-
lerences will eventually be ironed out
The league will not be permitted to die
| Inc pennant races in both ieagucS
were red hot up to mid season, when
the Cincinnati Reds drew away from
their closest rIVals-the Giants-anu
rode on down the stretch to the first
| National league championship Cincin-
! natl has won in SO years. Following
| this great victory for Pat Moran ant
his valiants came their surprising ano
| ~ell-reCeived triumph over the White
| Sox in the world series-a series II
| which nearly every member Of the Reds
| proved himself hero.
| Crucial series in both major leagues
| especially in the East, brought out tht
fans in crowds that kept the turnstile'
| clicking to the tune Of thousands o
| dollars. The memorable series between
the Giants and Reds at the POLE
| grounds, in which Moran's men tool
| four out of six games, drew tremendous
crowds, upward of $4,000 saw severa
OF these games.
Babe Ruth's wonderful hitting wa
one Of the outstanding features OF thu
1919 season The Boston Babe ham
| mered out 20 home runs, bettering tn
best previous record by two crcui
swats. This mark will, in all probabil
ity. stand for many years, Ed Rousl
and Ty Cobb also entered the spotlight
for their hitting, winning the battini
championships of their respectiv
leagues. The biggest winning pitchers il
the two majors were Eddie CiCotte, o
the White Sox, and Jess Barnes, of tn
Giants.
Minor Leagues.
In the minor leagues. which cam
back nobly after being hit hard by tn
war and a lean year or two prior t
| Uncle Sans entrance the pennant race
were watched with the old time inter
est by the fans. The new mternationa
league, the American association an
the Pacific Coast league, in particular
tnjoyed successful seasons The South
| orn, Western and Texas leagues ais
came back strong, while the smalie
I leagues of the country got by an
the result Of the 1919 season has ha
the effect Of squirting the magnates o
to make greater preparations in the wa
of spending hard cash for 1920.
The action of the minor leagues !
requesting and bringing about the abro
/ gaticn of the national agreement, sgne
! in 1903, was somewhat Of a test for tn
grand old game as "she" used to b
run, and likely will besrun again. TIL
: ancient right of the majors to drat
players from their smaller brothers wa
tabooed But the smaller fry in the
! ranks discovered to their sorrow thu
! the draft was not such burden afte
all. Result--a new agreement has no
been requested by the minors and vii
in all probability, be framed and signe
when the national commission meets
! ! January
) Baseball, then, has experienced II
sorrows, its joys and its lessons dun
ing 1919, which has been in reality
big year for the game. The fact ths
there is every indication that plenty (
oil will be poured wherever the watel
are troubled at present leaves 1919
so into the discard with pleasant men
; cries. En-,