El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1921-01-01

(Continued from Previous Issue).
II ASEBALL was in the midst OF one
x Of the. most prosperous seasons
I'm IFS history when the bomb
she'll OF the 1913 worlds series scan
dal was exploded in Chicago, casting
a pail over the game and creating a
sensation that gave the pastlme the
hardest JOLT lt has ever received
baseball wars Of the past or scandals
Of other DAYS Notwithstanding
But baseball shook itself. rottered
on its foundation for a brief space OF
time and settled down sohdly again
The Indictment Of the eight Chicago
players-Cicotte, Felsch, Weaver,
Jackson, Williams, McMullen, Gandu
and Iisberg-aud subsequent confess
sious made by CicOtte and others was
a hard blow 20 the fans Yet they
realized apparently. that baseball is
bigger than any player or any club,
and that the game itself was not un-
clean.
Confidence Partly Restored.
The prompt dropping OF the eight
players Of owner Charles Comlskey
did much 20 restore confidence and
the pennanr races were finished with
good attendance at all games The
windup of the season in the annual
classic-the worlds serics-proved
that the game was little the worse
for the blow it had received. The
victory OF the champion Cleveland
Indians over the Brooklyn Dodgers
was impressive. The games drew i'm
mense crowds, the fans packing the
parks in both Brooklyn and the For
est City TO their capacities Incl
dentallT, CleTeland's victory marked
the first ever scored by a Forest
City team in a major league peunant
race and the first time that a worlds
championship in baseball ever went to
Cleveland
The expose Of the gamblers
awakened the club owners 20 the
fact that war must be declared
and WuEed against the gambling
fraternity which had sought to
poison the game But the mag
mates came near TO war among
themselves in attempting TO set
tie upou a method Of reuorntinE
the game and putting fl on
new and firmer foundation
me National league, augmented oT
the owners Of the New York, Boston
and Chicago American league clubs,
handed down an ultimatum 70 Ban
Johnson and his -loyal five" when
they refused 10 meet with the stall
wart eleven in Chicago. threatening
20 organize new twelve club league
II the J0hnsouites failed 10 come In
with their scheme for a new govern
ment FOR the game, built around what
was known as the "Lasker plan
For q time war clouds hung black
and low on the horizon Then came
a gathering OF all the major leaguers
at Chicago a subsequent trip TO kan
sas City where the support Of the
major leagues was sought and the
happy conclusion Of the trouble when
judge * IL lands was offered and
accepted the position as the new head
Of baseball
The future OF the game IS bright
row. and with Judge Lands leading
the organized forces in war on the
gamblers and the maEnates harmon
izing, prosperity and q long term Of
peace loom ahead
Baseball had another great sensa-
ton this year Babe Ruth is the an
sWer.
The home run king set up a record
that no BAH player, no matter what
his hitting ability, had dreamed OF
IN Elammiug the fifty-four home
runs during the 1920 season and
breaking his own record OF twenty
nine made the year before
Ruth. as an attraction, drew more
paid admissions 10 the turnstile
wherever the Yankees played than
any other player who ever wore ma
jor lague livery before The Yankees
paid a record price OF S135.Q00 for
Ruth. purchasing him from the Sos
ton club, and he proved that be was
worth Be-. Early in the season the
Yankees broke the attendance record
at the Polo grounds twice In success
sion. when $500 odd fans crowded
into the big park chiefly 20 see Ruth
iu action
The batting championships in