The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-12-30
FANS FORGOT WORK
OF HEYDLER, JOHNSON
IN BASEBALL TkNGLES
nv FRANK G. MENkE

Apparently Ban Johnson and John
Heydler have retired from active par
ticipation in basebal1's affairs.
One hears about lands did this
and lands did that and Lands
said" and Lands will do this
hears golden, glorious praise of all
that Lands is doing and is presumed
10 have done alone and unaided. But
ore hears nothing at all about what
johnson or Heydler have done.
The hero worship which certain
snort writer's are indulging in has car
ried them along to such weird heights
that they are ignoring the existence
of Johnson and Heydler, ignoring the
splendid efforts of both, according all
the praise to I.andis-and affrontlng
the two men who already have done
more for baseball than Lands posi-
bly, ever can do.
Lands is good newspaper copy He
is something colorful, something pic
turesque, something new. But that
accords to no one the license to take
the position that everything good that
has happened in baseball lately has
| been due to the jurist.
! gone to extremes-and has acted as
an injustice to Heydler and to John
/ son.
! In all fairness to Lands, it must be
said that he has not consciously at
tempted to create the belief that he
has done it ali.
! What He M'Bht Have Done.
But, on the other hand Lands I'M
doubtedlv has noticed that all the
bouquets have gone TO him-none to
Heydler or Johnson. In view of that,
how nice and sportsmanlike it would
have been had Lands sent state
ment something like this to the news
papers:
Il would like to state that Johnson
and Heydler should get equal credit
with me for solving many of the lntrl-
cate problems of baseball of this era.
II appreciate the kindnes of my news
paper friends in giving me all the
glory. but it is unfair for them to do
so, for my two associates in the al
visory council have worked as hard as
have and their brains have concelV-
ed as many ideas for the betterment
of baseball as has mine"
| When one recalls the result of the
Johnson ruling in the Mays case ana
. the result of the Lands decision In
the Groh incident, one gets the low.
{ down" on the extremes being INDUCED
t in to heroize Lands.
J Bitter Strife.
NAYS refused to play longer with
the Red Sox and quit the team He
= was traded to New York. johnson
2 ruled that Mays was ineligible to play
; anywhere but in Boston. A baseball
war was precipitated by that ruling
II was the bitterest internal strife
t since the game began.
, Groh quit Cincinnati and wanted to
! plav elsewnere-said he would play
} no more with the Reds, just as MAYS
; said anent the Red Sox. Lands ruled
5 that Groh was not eligible to play any
5 where but in Cincinnati-that he hac
|, to play there or nowhere in organized
: baseball. If was a verdict almost
/ identical with Johnson's.
? Lands was cheered to the highest
: heavens for his ruling-by the same
5 coterie of writer's who attempted t
+ 'inflame public sentiment against John
2 son for the Mays attitude.
What's the answer?
lands has done some things fol
+ baseball during his tenure of office as
e high commissioner. He ought to
4 that's why they're paving him $4,000
l But Lands hasn't done it all-per
=. haps hasn't done any more than Joh1
: Heydler or Ban Johnson.
o. So its seems a rank injustice tina
g the greatness of both presidents, anC
their unceasing efforts in baseball:
4 behalf, should be logged by newspa
= pers who make a man an idol today
and then are quite likely to attemp
: his destruction tomorrow.
. Copyright 1921 BY King Features