El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1919-09-25
INDOOR S2oRT7

NEW YORK. sept 25.-Inreats nave
N been openly made that unless Ban
Johnson retires from the American
league. another baseball league will
be formed. Enough has developed N
the Mays case to show that Johnson
is unfit and disqualified on various
counts from holding office as presi-
dent Of the American league On Fis
own admission Ban Johnson is a part
owner Of the Cleveland club. He had
concealed that fact until it was drawn
from him during an Inquiry into the
NAYS case. and the manner in which
Johnson has been conducting the az
fairs OF the American league
During the fight with the Federal
league johnson denounced the indie
pendent organization for just this sort
Of thing He griled the Federal on
the ground that the league repre-
scented syndicate baseball Now II de-
velops that the Cleveland club Is
syndicate club. and that Ban Johnson
is one OF the syndicate owners
Refuse TO Compromise.
One Of the best posted men in base
ball says. For years Ban Johnson
has been making the game ridiculous
because of his inordinate vanity. He
crowded himself into the limelight
that belonged TO the players. He as
sumed that the baseball patrons were
more interested in the strutting and
rawlings Of a stout old gentleman than
they were in the game itself Colonies
Rupert and Huston. Of the New YORK
Yankees have refused to compromise
with the old order that has threatened
the life and integrity Of baseball The
developments in the Mays case have
shown that there is no truce with the
M ~ Toe rnd Ia ~aa
methods OF Johnson and his Xix The
Nays case is not the primary cause Of
the battle to GUST Johnson It is merely
an incident
The political inside Of baseball
always has been petty larceny
stuff more or less The maudlin
mutterings Of certain maEnntes
have bored the fans time and
again. The magnates' place IS IN
the background, but the average
maEnate does not know his place.
With the removal Of johnson or
the curtailment Of his powers
there Will be more baseball and
less maudIin magnates. which Is \
eOnsummatiOn devOutIy TO be
wished.
May Be Third League.
Unless organized baseball rids itself
Of the stout octupus there is more
than a possibility that there will be
a third big league The men behind
the fight TO Gust Ban Johnson have
the money and the courage to enter
upon this project. Also they have
some first hand knowledge of the
Johnson methods in trying to crush
opposition, which coupled with a
knowledge OF baseball and a sincerity /
Of purpose should augur success. And
they viii have the baseball fans be-
hind them
1t was johnson who introduced
trust methods and trust talk into
baseball, making IL more COM
merce than sport. People are be-
ginning to distrust organized
baseball as It is being manipulated
today The game itself Is clean
AID has kept free from scandal
There is no reason why the man
agement Of baseball should not
be just As clean As the game itself.
The owners who have thrown
down the gauntlet to johnson Will
night until IL is finished. II the
Old leagues cannot be cIeansed
they Will start a new League
RMS Is as good a time as any 10 Z
reform baseball from the top.
The frequently discussed rehabfli- \
-atlon OF the national commission. the I
ruling body in baseball. should be
about this year. The chair
nan OF the national commission should
be man who is not interested in
any club or in any league. As the
commission stands today it cannot ]
nope 10 have the confidence OF the
fans.
business Not Interesting.
People who go TO see baseball games
ire not particularly interested in the
personnel OF the national commission,