Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-07-21
PHILADELPHIA WRECKED
As GOOD BASEBALL CITY
Nfggardiincss OF Phlllics' Owner and
Dissolution OF Athletics Have
Had Dire Results.
BAKER is POOR sponrs,la
Release Of Jack Coombs and PAT
Moran as Pilots OF Quakcrs
Aroused Ire Of Fans, and Team Is
No Longer PatruniZed.
ny JAMES J. CoRBEI.r

NEW YORK. July 2o.-PniIadelnh,a
one OF the best baseball towns In III.
entire history OF tho national e,ne
has been wrecked temporarily bv N.
hissarditncs5 OF one club owner anG
free will. "a MS own
Once the Quaker City was rcnres.rt
nc world. connie Aiacks Athletics
Philadelphia came TO mean all thai wa,
n ,n,,av IN I'd, d.am9nd a,SSihl.evemen,. For
preme And tnSn the 'i man f wbn t 81;
putt tho greatest team Of them All
disbanded It. while Phliadeiphia
But Mack had his reasons. D,s,.n.
sion had split the club. and he Do.
ciden that the better plan was TO get
r mp of t +. whose loyaty 10 the club
Athletics have been synonymous with
'ailenders." But IN MacK's favor it
s nu i % sad hs ina ,hst thsoash he years
enacavorcd 10, give Philadelphia an.
other great club.
,., s"t situation vastly different ex.
where : man wrecked a great bail club
solely :o- pecunlary gain and who evcp
since then has had utter contempt for
ported him ncbiy.
r,, Baker Unpopular with Fans.
william + Baker is tho controlling
- nj
Andy Freeman, once The owner Of the
Giants. no more unpopular man ever
vas iden'fed With the diamond game.
Baker has demonstr.t ed an appaiIirr
lack or sportsmanship and has shown
that he is In the IN no only TOR the
none that can 10 made
BAKERS policy never has been pub
nc be pieas ed" affair. Father, Il iin.
oeeh exactiy the. opposite. whenever
Others mi
disDoka! OF athletic Idols. Baker has
put through the deal. no matter how
Ersa, has been The vail from the fans.
such tactics az Bak er has employed
have no place IN baseball Thev hurt
ne ne game immeasnrahIy. And man
. NE hnkeF Fc@ ns, as misery to an
phsiinie But. perhaps Bakers most
recent homer" the casting on Of faith
~! JACK CGomDs has sounded his
death knen in biz league circles
No man ever did more 10. ball
club than did Pa, Moran WITH the 1918.
1915. 1917 and 1915 I'hliiles. work.
par!son with his worth Moran led tho
Phiii!ts into the world's series OF 1913.
and Baker made :inancia! killing due
Ana through 1916 and 1917 Mosan's
skklfui work with only fair ball
f fiSn G n.iis ,t The rhi!liss + b5ssk
the cubs were losing heavily
PhillIcn Drew LnrEc Crowds.
~, Al p,i that ,ims the fans pa,ron,zed
And then came the h-,t s!ap that
Baker. The. rnon"y g.a5ber," Dolly
cred 70 the faces OF the fans. He sold
greatest battery IN baseball His &C;
wrecked ;he pennant chances OF his
club; took from the team rs real bull
Baker didn't t'are how the rooters fe fell.
eyer the loss OF A!tsa1 and kiliife:.
90, +. hu' right then he. began to dis
MA haseoal! grave And about every
oniy ne d has mH6e Si Sir, then has mad:
awaits him in -" the We cad ADJ" ''0'' '"A'
During the winter 8: is1s-leIe Baker
became called The biggest migrate in
basebali" when ne released Pat Mo-
JOB man who had made, perhaps.
@25o,0oo for him, and who was one OF
tho best beloved leaders In the game
blew up over the d!.missal o: Moran.
the Ph!llia owner tried 10 right matters
by empioyinr Jack Coombs. Never
t.ent worker than Coombs; never was
there man who asked for fewer Ia
vors than "coihy JacE Z"
DID HIS Rest With Team.
He did his best with the Philies.
dnbbIed and fakers tactics. according
to rhlindeiph!ans, mashed the morale
everything annoyed him. Every error
OF player. so the Elory goes. brought
rchukcs. And then he hit upon the
CRAZY plan OF rnirg his men for tina
sl!shtert infraction OF the rules. Tho
men revoited, as was only natural. and
Coombs quit In utter disgust. and the
wreck OF the Hssperus WAS more COM
plete than that OF n ball club that
once battled for worlds series honors
The fans have turned way from the
Phi!iic park. And It Is unlikely that
they'll ever go back until such time as
a man or n group OF men dominate tina
club whose ownership idea Is mixed
with rea! sportsman ship, not money
grabbers.-Copyright, 1919