South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-09-22

owners Of the great teams this
year. Baseball wars. the Federal
League vs.. the National and American
Leagues. 1876. and the great war
made baseball a prohtless investment
for the big club owners in the period
between 1912 and 1918. But 1919 Is
proving 10 be the banner year OF all
the years Of professional baseball.
The passage Of The law which per-
mitted baseball 70 be played on sun
day in New York has had lot 70 DO
with the present prosperity OF the
game Sunday games mean from 20
900 to 10000 persons additional IN
New York and Brooklyn. The permits
zion OF sunday s4iG~e in Washington
has helped some. TOO. But apart ;fCin
the Sunday baseball. there has been a
tremendous boom in attendance all
over the United States, with the pos
sible exception OF the s. Louis Ma
tionaI League club. Detroi, and Cleve-
land turned out enormous crowds dali
" and Sunday. Cincinnati had a great
boom owing 10 the entirely unexpected
good showing Of the team under the
leadership Of Pat Moran Pittsburg
did fairly well. Boston. though both
teams went fairly well. has shown dis
position To patronize the game Brook
Ign was better than II ever had been.
Chicago did we'll with both teams,
though the leading White Sox did not
draw the crowds they were won't TO
draw in the DAYS when Charley Co
mskey was in the heydey Of his favor
Still. Chicago must be accounted a
frst-class baseball town Both New
York teams were for some time at the
TOP of the race and have drawn we'll
But TO Detroit goes the palm for draw
ing. all told. the great crowds Of 1919
The Straits City has been turning out
huge crowds tc the baseball games.
Good Players Always In Demand.
AS might be anticipated, the demand
for good players has gone up enorm-
ously. Good players are very scarce
Young America, for one reason OF an
other. does not seem to be taking TO
baseball as a profession. The war,
which was supposed to greatly popu-
larize baseball as a profession, seems
10 have had a very different effect
There are very few young players of
any promise in the minor leagues.
There is a scarcity Of young players
in the majors So. when a good play
or happens TO be put upon the market
the big clubs offer huge sums for the
privilege of buying his contract.
In fact. so great is the competition
for players that it threatens to disrupt
at least one league. The sale of Carl
Mays, a famous underhand pitcher. by
the Boston to the New York Americans
raised quite a storm in the politics Of
the game. The facts are these:
Mays. a crack pitcher, in 1917 prob
ably the most effective pitcher in the
country, left the Boston club during
game in which he was the pitcher and
returned TO Boston. without the knowl-
edge. il is said. OF his manager. Mays
declared that y would not play any
more with the Boston club, though he
had A two-year's contract with the
team. After some time had passed II
became known that Mays was on the
market At the end of two weeks it
was announced that he had been sold
TO the New York club for $4,000 and
three players. a total Of some $4,000
in all. This exceeds the enormous
sum Of $4,000 paid for Iris Speaker
bv the Cleveland club in 1916.
The sale OF Mays created a storm.
The St. Louis. Philadelphia Cleveland.
Detroit and Washington clubs disap-
proved OF the sale of a player 20 a pen
nant contender in the heat Of the
championship season. President John
son took the stand that 10 give a dis
grunIcd and recalcitrant player the
privilege Of leaving a club which had
no chance for share Of the worlds
series money for club that had an
excellent chance for such money was
putting a premium upon contract
breaking and upon INSTRUMENTATION, en-
players to disregard their
contracts. etc. and subvcrsive Of The
best interests of the game. He, there
fore. suspended Mays indefinitely.
The Boston and New York clubs pro-
tested violently. Johnson refused TO lift
The suspension. Then the New York
club secured an order of court. an in
junction forbiddlng Johnson 20 inter
fere with the playing OF Mays. Mays
nitched for the New York club and
won a number OF games.