The Washington times., 1920-10-20


at center on the big varsity ma
chine out Of loyalty to the univcr-
sity.
ditions can return whenever the
Grfffmen. or whatever they may be
then called. are pennant contsnders
again.
FOLLOW WRONG LEADER.
But il the Washington club makes
the mistake of following the wrong
leader in the crisis now facing pro-
fessional baseball. Washington fans
may have nothing to say about keep
Ing or losing their major league
franchise. 1t will simply die of inxni-
ton. and II won't require any sixty
nine days to bring IL about either.
We have listened to the bunk and
twaddle and bombast OF the baseball
magnates so long that we give Il no
more weight than We do the philoso-
phical musings of q Jim Shaw or
Joe jackson. Therefore. we are not
unduly alarmed over the prospects
of baseball war. Before moneyed
men Will permit their treasures TO
be swept clean. they Will strain many
points to keep their dollars. Chop
ping off q mere presidents head to
make q baseball holiday calls for but
stroke of q pen.
And yet, the possibility does stare
At Washington. First. President Grif-
fifth, then Connie Mack and lastly
Frank Navin. three Of the "loyal
five" have expressed their confidence
in the wisdom OF Ban Johnson in
preferring to make haste slowly
They openly charge their rivals with
playing politics for the purpose Of
getting Ban Johnson"
TAKE BIT IN TEETH.
Abrogating the national agreement.
the covenant of professional baseball,
eleven OF the sixteen major league
clubs have taken the bit in their
teeth by voting to adopt the so-called
Lasker plan. which provides for the
imposition Of a sort Of superst ructure
OF outside. unprejudiced, uninterested
control. and giving the five clubs re-
naming out of the fold until Novem-
Der i to come in or stand the conse-
quences. The "consequences'' 10 the
formation OF a new circuit.
. The proposed new circuit. with one
other city to be added. would consist
OF twelve clubs. In itself, this is a
weakness. All can't be first and the
clubs running in the four last places
have lost large sums. That's the
story OF the old National Leagues
experiences as a twelve-club organi-
zation
However, leaving Ban johnson to
paddle his own canoe with a league
made up of his loyal five" and three
others to be added, the new circuit
might be expected to drop four clubs.
II successful in it's fight against the
Johnsonian organization. Then this
thing would work itself out satisfac-
torily in the end.
THE FIGHT IS ON.
II reports from Chicago be correct,
the fight 10 on with the announce
ment from Charles A. Comiskey that
he will close the gates OF his ball
park next year IL Ban johnson is then
president OF the American League.
Comiskey was talking with men who
hate johnson with quite as much
depth as he does. He knew what
he was talking about, too, for the
'Old Roman" 10 financially able to
retire and live happily ever after. IL
the situation goes that far.
or the eight National League clubs
allied against Johnson. Pittsburgh
and Brooklyn have long fought the
"Czarof baseball" They have always
failed. But now they seem to have
the edge on the once cc-unconquerable
Gear"
Undoubtedly efforts will be made
beneath the surface to cut into John
sons support as a means Of ending
the evil situation without dragging
down the whole house. Certain men
will seek to ALLEVIATE some OF the
"ioyal five" from johnson. Between
now and November 1 many things
will be done along this line.
How successful these efforts will
be cannot be. outlined now. Magnates
are so accustomed to saying one thing
and doing another that their words
count for little or nothing. Novem-
Der 1 will tell the tale.
BAN HAS REAL SCRAP.
Ban Johnson has fought many
fights In his long career as a fight
ing president Of the American League,
but he seems to have come down to
a bit rusted and bent in places here
and there.
1t may be heroic for the loyal five"
TO immediate themselves in the sup
port OF a man whose failures as an
executive in the past three years have
been notable. Yes, II may be heroic,
but not baseball.
II the '1oysl five" allow themselves
to go down fighting for Ban John
sons banner they will receive sym
pathy from few cognizant OF the hap
penings in the major leagues for at
least three years past
II the loyal five" do go down
fighting for Ban, Washington will
shortly find itself In the Virginia
State League, or at best In the Inter
with its ~ a
worlds series unfulfilled.
II the loyal five" stick to Ban to
the bitter end there will be some
costly ball parks for sale, with bank
ruptcies impending in the courts here
and there,
IL the "loyal five" go down with
the ship. that ship will surely go
down, taking with II Washington's
major league franchise. That is what