The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1921-12-08

ehat he had already attained such pr
Now that the $4,000 commissio
6ambino will doubtless sit back and
The Judge has done baseball Q very
eood turn. Fans. who have been
skepttcal, since tho gambling expose
OF 1918. CA now have confidence In
ehe pastime. With Mr.. LAndis as the
boss. there Will be no. further dilly-
dally1ng. and lodging. and stalling.
When q player smashes rule, he's
SONG to suffer. even though he be the
outstanding star Of the sport. Things
WI be run according to law with the
new commissioners on the job.
HIS stand viii restore belief In the
honesty and purposes Of professional
baseball. There can be none now to
say that he was merely put In there at
MS tancy salary, to cover up the own
ers and players while they were put
ting things over.
Seemed Beyond Belief.
Even those closest to the commits
sioner hardly expected that he would
do more than fine tho disobedient
Rambino. His value to the New York
Club; to every club in the league as a
gate attraction, made anything like a
suspension seem out Of the question.
With Ruth benched, the New York
Yankees. league champions, and one
OF the wealthy clubs OF baseball. viii
lose . young fortune in the opening
five weeks Of the season.
The standing of the Yankees means
o whole lot to the financial side Of
American League baseball, and the
removal Of Ruth and Meusel, two Of
the Vames best hitters, will throw a
real wrench into the playing machin-
cry Of the Ruppert-Huston combine.
Yet the commissions calmly exiles
the pair Of them. as though they were
the veriest rockies.
a Lands Guards Public.
Ksnesaw M. has harshly informed
both owners and players that the
public demands . square deal. and
must have the same. Az long a.
there are baseball rules, he intends
to have them obeyed. There can be
no more assertions such as Carl Mays
pulled ON the Red Sox because the
club wasn't winning.
Carts only punishment was ad-
vancement to q stronger team, and
an eventual piece Of series money.
That particular performance really
disgusted fandom az much a. q series
ucandal.
Lands vas named because the
owners knew that something had to
be done to win back popularity.
Ruth and his sensational home-run
record hauled the game out of the
dumps, but the Commissioners has
helped 1t more than any ono indi-
vidual ever did by his drastic procla-
nation that no single bird " bigger
than the law.
Don't Think Law Just.
We do not believe that the lav the
Yankee players fractured Is just; but
It's q law and Ruth and the rest
knew 1t. Doubtless the Bambino,
Affected by the flattsry that's part
Of his life since he became a Broad
way notable, thought the thing would
be brushed over. He has paid scant
attention to other laws in his time.
But he never collided with the Csn-
missioner before Chances are he]
never will again, either.
It's very expensive for club own
ers TO have high priced stars flirt-
ing with punishments to satisfy
their own whims.
Five weeks out Of baseball next
player ~ highly salaried AZ the
Batter@. He can probably sign up
for the time In his new role of
vaudeville curiosity. But he viii
find that any other contract he
signs 10 likely to have an anti-sus-
pension clause in 1t that will cost
him plenty.
Gives Moro Control.
Tho lands ruling likewise gives
he club owners more control over
their players. Heretofore they had
no real collateral for their invest
mont. A player on q poor team
didn't have any trouble falling down
and getting himself traded. Emil
Meusel did 1t last season. Scores
Of others have turned the trick.
Thu owners have been partly to
blame in this, Of coarse. save In
cases like the Mays departure. But
with X. M. Lands on the job, the
boys who try to pull the funny stuff
win find themselves sway out on q
limb.
Remarkable thing. but we failed
TO hear a single expression of SYM
v~~<S,v for RIlth HASn haer a,,ch q