The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1920-11-02
JOHNSON AWAKES
 TO BASEBALL CRY
American League Czar Civ en Jolt at Plan For New
 Organization.

New York, Nov. "A seismograph recorded severe disturbance in the vicinity of Chicago the other day. Disturbance in question was caused by one Ban Johnson returning to earth with loud crash after a so- jour of several years in the upper ether.
 Ban came down hard. with al the grace Of stone chimney. He came down so hard, in fact, that he must have been awakened from the silly dream he has been enjoying for a number of years-a dream that he was the one and only high Pooh-bah in baseball.
 Time was when Ban Johnson's word was respected and obeyed by baseball folk. That time has passed. Ban still has his clique of five club owners, but he has struck the rocks and is sinking. And if the club owners stick with him they will sink also.
 The ultimatum handed down by the eleven National and American League club owners is no bluff-and it is not a olitical plot. as some of Johnson's S friends would have the public believe The men who met ill Chicago are sin cere in their efforts to clean up base ball and clean it up as soon as possi- ble. One of the first moves. if base ball is to be run smoothly and peace fully, will be the putting of the we'll known snids under lsattlin' Ban.
 Heydler's Explanation.
 Some idea of what sort of a state of collapse the grand old game is in may be had from Ihe explanation of President John Heydler' of situation that arose immediately after the playing of the late and unlamented 1919 worlds series.
 Kid Gleason and Comiskey both thought they saw something wrong with the way the White Sox were playing. The Kid told Heydler about it and Comiskey also spoke to the Ma tional League president, as he was not and still does not speak to Ban Johnson. Commy suggested th% Heydler call Johnsons attention to the matter, and despite the fact that he could not believe there was any thing wrong, Heydler mentioned Co., miskey's fears to Big Ban.
 As anyone might have been ex- pected to do at that particular time Ban refused to take Heydler's tip seriously and there was nothing more for the National League president to do, as the accusations were all made against the Sox and it was Johnson's place to take up the case-a thing which he did not do.
 Heydler, being president of the Ma tional League, felt quite naturally enough that he had done all that he could do for the time being, and as | the National Commission was no 1 functioning, thanks to the fact tha1
  | on the selection of a chairman, the 1 case dragged on.
 Garry Icrrmann at the time was i still chairman of the commission bu as president of the Cincinnati club, z contender in the worlds series, he was | in a most peculiar position& Intima | tions that the Reds were not winning | on their merits were nothing more mol
 less than insults to Garry and, par | donab1y, too, he 1atly refused to be | 1ieve the ugly rumors.
 l Commission Was Numb. What a fin state for baseball to b' | in. A commission with as much lift i and ability as a clock with a busted
 main spring; f1oock of ugly rumor l floating around; an American League 1 president who would not start an in vestigation of the rumors because h. l was sore at Charley Comiskey ant | claimed if he started anything i would be looked upon as personal 1 attack rather than an attempt to fer ret out the crooks and gamblers. i Johnson Dreamt On. So Johnson, the czar, dreamt on. Il | his supreme blindness he turned { | deaf ear and a sightless eye on ru | mors of crookedness in his own leagu i when he should have been the frs i to demand that every rumor be siftet 1 to the bottom. Johnson, was, O should have been, in a better position I than anyone else in baseball to get tn | lOW-oOWn OH lHG Slludt1oi. iiC SOo'' | have saved himself had he taken tha | course from the first, for his woul'
 have been the distinction of unearth ing the crooked players and gambler l and the magnates would have had t | stand with him and behind him. | It's all different now. Johnson l | through He has received the ultl matum-an ultimatum that contain no essenece of bluff-and it mean l that hem ust come down from tn I,@ ,o1y I CO1 2
 ago and admit that his power
 broken.