The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1921-10-18
Commissioners Attitude
Commended by Colonels
Admit Rule May Be Unjust But Believe Judge
Has No Alternative But to Meet
Situation Firmly.
By wEsrBRooK PEGLER.

NEW YORK. Oct. 1.-THE two
Jolly colonies Of the New York
Yanks-Ruppert and Huston. in the
order named or vice versa-paid
s135,O 200 to Harry Frazee, OF the
Boston Red Sox, two years ago. for
2 one baseball player, name OF Ruth
Right away. II not sooner they
bought so much and such various
Insurance that they had to get q
new ding cabinet to hold the
policies.
Babe Ruth is insured against hre,
tornado and flood; murder, mayhem
measles, mumps. dandruff, falling
arches and falling gargoyles and al
most every other ill or misfortune
that human flesh is heir to, from
oversleeping to senile decay.
When the policies were all in
dexed and the premiums paid, Col
Jake Rupert teetsred back on his
heels of new, live rubber, hooked
his thumbs in his vest pockets said.
said he to Col Til. Huston:
We'll, that, so to speak. Is that"
"Ah, yes" Col. Til replied, teeter-
ing too, with his own thumbs in his
own vest pockets. that would seem
to be that or its equivalent What
% ever happens to Mr.. Ruth now we
need not worry. Does a locomotive
junp; the track and land in his lap,
we're insured"
But there was just one risk they
had overlooked, and this was the
one that had got Ruth into trouble
before-his wilfulness- One word
from any constituted authority and
Babe Ruth does as he jolly well
pleases. IL convenient
Now Judge K. NJ. Lands, the SUI
preme court Of baseball. may give
Babe Ruth one Of his famous stan
dard Oil decisions" This is a little
thing the colonies completely forgot
to cover with insurance. Like the
Babe, Judge Landis either hits 'em
big or misses big. The Standard OIL
pleaded nolo contendere, and he
Smashed out a fne Of S2s, $40. 00O.37.
Babe Ruth doesn't enter a passive
plea He implies that he Is bigger
in baseball than Lands himself and
his good morning. Judge" vibrates
with defiance.
If Lands bars Babe Ruth from
baseball the two Yankee colonies
have a total loss on their hands
without salvage or insurance. The
Babe Is not only the attacking
power Of their ball club, but also
the drawing power that turned peo-
pie away from the Polo Grounds
and other ball parks by thousands
in 1890 and 1921. without him the
New York Yanks are just the new
York Americans
The Colonies tiptoed around all
day. almost afraid to think of what
Babes defiant, attitude may mean
to them, their club and their COM
munal treasury. Miller Hugglns'
manager of the Yanks, often more
managed than managing, had not
syllable to say about the business
leaving it all to the owners.
Finally the Colonies issued a
formal statement. handling the STU
alton with tongs. like this:
Il. is .regrettable that the rule OF
baseball prohibiting members Of the
world series teams from playing
exhibition games has been-violated
so defiantly by some of the Yankee
players that Judge Lands has no
alternative but to meet the situation
firmly. This rule appears to be I'M
just in many respects, but as long as
IL exists II should be observed The
players made a mistake in not pc
titioning for a modification Of the
rule"
Landis' authority probably will
be tested severely during the
winter. as Ruth and MeuseI are not
the only players discontinued with
the arbitrary and extra-legal
scheme OF controlling players. The
system was on trial once before
Lands as Federal Judge, during the
Federal League fake. He delayed
decision and the Feds sold out for
what they had wanted all the time
q share Of the pickings. No decis-
ion ever was rendered and the
forces Of organized baseball were
glad to obviate one by settling with
the Feds.
Ruth Is on the roster of the
Yanks. but he claims to be not
member of the club because his last
contract has expired and he has not
yet renewed. Babe got little over
$1,000 for Llaying IN the world Sc
ries, but he could have made at
least three times that much by
transforming. So It cost him at
least 5000 to help the Yanks win
the American League pennant,
which any baseball magnate will
say is not business.
Now Ruth is trying to collect
what he can on his personal popu-
larity after discharging his seasons
Civilizations TO the Yanks and or
gan'sed baseball. For that he may
be barred.