Evening journal., 1920-11-12
Baseball War VIII Hurt, Not Help

II IS too carly to predict accurately
what the ultimate outcome OF the
threatened baseball war Will be.
And. like all wars. Il wall generatc
and expose W public view many ugly
evils. -, I'm -
borne by the fans.
The above goes only IN case tle wa.
goes beyond the stage OF pun anu
/ bunkum. That's as far as ~ deserves
/ la 90 on the declaration OF hostiFue
made bN all National and three Amer
lean League clubs. 49,,
So many bonehead plays have been
/ pulled In b bg league ball by greedy
nagnates that more are sure TO sonio:
Ii looks like this declaration OF Mas
was a bonehead. For, whi ile u 10 III ~
10 see wherein IL will benent nle
game, Il is easy TO see some OF uio
MANY evils II will engender. o,o
Following exposure OF me 1yiy
world series scandal all major league
marnates felt and expressed a des re
Ia do All they could TO restore PUBIC
confidence in the national game.
: This lmnulse was hardly born ere
] a was perverted TO personal purposes
} by many club owners.
D Heralded as a plan 10 so reorgani,izle
a he game as 10 restore fandoms IA i;
g the Lasker plan TO turn controi oi
Y baseball over TO board on siaYfv .nns ns
e uonally known and respected cie'1s,hs .,l
d who had no financial interest IN the
9 game was put forth. But u Was
Il quickly recognized as a plan 70 ousl
nan Johnson as American lseagu'
3 nresldent and install a national gov
o ernine board fully controlled. by m'
N National League owners. ms wa
e. nossIble OF execution only because
; three American League CLUB oWn,sr'
IT hated Ban Johnson TOT enlorvi.iis
,r American League law as II Is WrltD.i e,l
IT and not as they wanted u lntgr Rnsou
We hold no brief for Ban Johnson
TO has been a baseball car and ma
dome MANY autocratic things. But II
is The majority choice OF America
p. eague club owners and no one Il !
y ever charged HIM with hetraylng III
league to the National; 20,
because Comiskey, Frazee and 90
onels Ruppert and Houston OF ul
n chicago. boston and New YORK A:nel
,u loan League clubs were not poliili ~,
ln ted 10 Violate American League ia
ssun I'm the notorious Carl Mays ca9S "
" set out to set mp, Win the nu y,
u, rival league a super-board OF CON-
Al mat Nyoiild be empowered 10 medd
no IN nurely internal affairs OF the Anne
zee mus was the decent motive =
ca cleaning IN crooked players tuhVerl'
.- IN mot ve unworthy or the gan
n that gave u birth. s,....,,-
~ so the National and three dsgrun
" led American League magnates pr
10 nose n fs-club league. That mea
~ 10 revers'on 20 the old pastime OF cll
in owners brib'ng players to violate CO
:" tracts and do the grasshopper ACT 2
tween the two big leagues How q
FANS believe that this bribery 70 pr
vii mote contract-iump'ng wall better !
inc morals OF ball players, some OF WI,
nes have recently confessed to selli
Gu s1'nS HOW can fans OF Chicago, Bost
v's and New York support two teams
e. the same league and not lose nger
s. in the sportsmanship side OF
an game. 49,. M.
AT has maid and never win. II VII
and not promote interest IN the gal
? al There is nothing In the t2-c
league war threat TO win supp
from the American League, the ml
en- leagues or the American public
the way It's worded or the way