Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-12-06
BETTER BALANCED
CIRCUITS WANTED
Magnates Cite Poor Drawing
Powers of Both PhiIadeI- :
phia Ball Clubs.

The year now tapering toward the
end has witnessed sporting. revival
of matchless magnitude, particularly
n'base ball. But it won't hold a tai
low candle to the tremendous cam
paign 1920 will usher forth.
Every branch of sport has shared
Base ball, following the pincned years
of the war, welcomed the windfall
with open arms, a prayer of thanks
and a few graceful salaams.
Practically every major league club
made money. In New York both the
the Yanks for the first time in the
history of the club. Every team with
good base ball to sell found an eager
market poised to rush the turnstiles.
But organized base ball confronts q
problem in the weaker sisters or
the spirit of the diamond blazed has
become a financial tank town In base
ball. Unless both clubs are fortified
during the winter Philadelphia will
continue to be ponderous handicap
to both leagues next season.
Already enterprlsing club owners.
who regard the Phillies and Athletics
as burden they should not be COM
PEELED to bear, are discussing plans by
which they hope to force improve
ments in the bush league aggregations
now disgracing the once honored base
ball name of Philadelphia
Accept this view of one of the lead
ing club owners of the east, who makes
his headquarters in New York:
Il see no reason why we should not
compel Mack. and Baker. to build up
their teams for next season. Repeat
eddy l have had the Athletics come to
my park only to find business to fall
En- 1Nx. oh not no 1l 1y
meet expenses.
Most of the club owners, with an
eye to good showmanship, realize that
what the fans want is real base ball.
They will not stand for the bush
league brand the Philadelphia clubs
have been providing.
philadelphia once was one of the
biggest base ball towns in the coun-
try, but there is little interest there
now. The. game has practically been
killed by the managerial manhandling
to which the Quaker City clubs have
been subjected.<
Can you imagine. for instance.
what it cost base ball to have Connie
Mack chaperoning bush league out
fit around the circuit as the Athletics
last season. The Athletic club may
have some promising youngsters on
it. but it is in a class A aggregation.
even lower rating than the American
ASSOCIATION or INTERNATIONAL League.
and here We have a club owner de-
liberately trying to get such a make.
Shift aggregation by as a genuine big
league club. That. think. gave base
ball a blow from which it win take long
to recover. 80.
There is every reason to anticipate
season of extraordinary proportions
in 1920, and think it is high time
to begin now to force these niggardly
managers to build up their teams to
something approaching major league
standard"
It is safe to say the. Philadelphia
situation will be one, of the most i'm
portant topics at the Forthcoming
winter base ball meetings.
That the Mackian policy is in i'm
f; mediate need of revamping was shown
! plainly by the detection Of, Scott
| Perry, one of the greatest right hand
pitchers Of the day. Perry quit the
/ Quakers toward the end Of the sea
son because he had salary differences
| with Mack. He preferred to play
mi-professonal base BALI in Penhsyl-
vania. 80
| AS a result Mack asserts he will
| compel Perry either to play with the
/ Athletics at a figure named by Mack
| or to remain out of organized base
! ball With club that pays better
| than bush league salaries. Perry
| doubtless could draw three times az
| big a salary as Mack has been paying
| him and have the support of a reaI
major league team.