The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1921-02-07
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by A&S .SAL4~

The moles arc at work. The disposed
powers Of baseball arc burrowins deep
under the surface. to undermine inc
rule Of Judge lands. The fact mat
! Judge Lands caught the trick BY when
the old powers sought to hamstring the
reform administration has not stopped
! them. -
| In the last two weeks the politicians
Of the gan e have shown their hands
several times IN trying 10 discredlt
Judge lands, and 1t is certain that the
Idea still persists in some minds that
! continued petty annoyances may cause
him TO resign.
The inside story OF the effort to slip
the word recommend" into the new
national agreement, which would have
! destroyed all his power. has been told.
! Barney preyfuSs says it was not acct
dental. According to Barney, who was
n member OF tho committee when
drafted the document, the change was
made by Henry Killilca. Of Milwaukee,
a lawyer well versed in baseball and a
longtime tired and true friend OF john
son and several times advanced by the
! Johnson interests as a possible chair
man Of the national Commission
According to Dreyfuss, the attention
] Of the Johnson element in the National
League was called to the wording OF the
doucumcnt, they went into executive
session and considered the matter and
reported ont the recommend version.
Judge Landis's prompt and stern call
ing of the Johnson element has checked
them for the time being. but evidently
they have not lost hope OF regaining
power even now.
Times have changed Even tho
square dances are getting 50 they're
not danced on the square.
Baseball-not the game. not the busi-
ness or the politics-is commencing TO
get interesting. When the magnates
fade and the players to come
into the spotlight, the fans begin to
wake up. The trade that took Rabbit
Meanwhile TO Pittsburgh stirred up more
real interest than all the quarrels OF
| the owners and politicians Of the game
could do IN a season.
Meanwhile puts an entirely new
aspect on the National League race.
Had he gone to the New York Giants,
where it was generally supposed he
would land. tho Giants would have been
| VI
League championship.
As it now stands, the. National League
dope is that the race will be in three
scctions-New York, Pittsburgh and
Brooklyn in tho first, st. Louis Cincin-
natl and Chicago in the second. and Bos-
ton and Philadelphia in the third.
This is the prediction: II Rabbit
Maranvillc decides to play ball the way
he is capable of playing, and cuts out
the reckless. careless way into which
/ he has fallen. Pittsburgh will be the
most dangerous contender for the cham
; pionshtp. 1t all depends upon Rabbit.
He is a great little fellow, one Of tie
most likable. tractaoe and decent boys
In the business. Bereavement and loss
! OF home connections made him reckless,
and for the last two seasons he hasn't
been doing what he should. But he de-
| clares he is in TO win low. And, re-
member that all Pittsburgh lacked last
season was a little punch and tight at
the right times-and the Rabbit can
supply that.
The Divine T1re Doesn't start
much OF a blaze unless some one
chops wood to foed It.
The amazing efforts OF the persons
friendly TO the Chicago White Sox who
are-accuscd of crockedness in the world
series with the Reds to force some OF
! the players back into the game continue
! pcrsistently? Tie last effort is ono to
Nmirch the reputation OF Eddie Collins.
I The guilty ones. or their hackers. arc
en~deavorinE TO drag into the mess in
Z, order to confuse the issue.
There Is no doubt that some OF the
accused players have smart lawyers
Which makes it all the more interest
ing. because Judge Lands has been
dealing with smart" q. c.. crooked)
lawyers for many years. These men
know hat If they can drag Collins's
name into the mess they can confuse
public opinion that all the accused may
he considered innocent by a large pro-
portion of the p~opulancc.
To charge Collins with crookedness IS
| attacking Caesars wife. Collins Is one
| Of the cleanest and best OF players. He
Is so straight that the crooks never
ever suggested approaching him. I'm
duubtedly the fact that his suspicious
were aroused affected his work in the
series.
The charge that he bet Is ridiculous
10 any one who knows him. He is not
inc DtllaD6 hlHu' III loIN' IL "N'Sl
CANDLES on anything. 1t may surprise
the ones who arc trying to sm!rch his
reputation to know that he IS really
responsible for their expose. He waited
a long time before he was finally con-
WINGED that some Of his mates we're
wrong" Then he declared to his bosses
that he wouldn't play with some men
on the team. .
When the trial comes Collins will
make an interesting witness.
You may laugh At the fellow who
wouldn't bet one to two he was
alive, but youu eve convict him
Of fixing anything. !
Regarding the French runners who
are to represent Paris at the Penn re-
lays there Is little dope. However. IN
the Olympic games in the ten .recoS-
nizcd distances, seven on the fiat and