Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1921-09-25
BASEBALL MAGNATES
| ARE MAKING JOKE
Of PE|VVANT HONOR
Owners in Big League Are
Frankly Out for Nickels
Says Sanb0rn.
By I, e. SANBORN.
Special Correspondent Of The Tribune

Special Correspondent Of The Tribune.
Chicago, Sept. 24-Commercialized
baseball has grown largely out of the
worlds series, which has emphasized
the dollar sign so strongly in connec-
ton with the big games that the pub
lie came to believe the two teams were
competing for the gate receipts instead
OF the highest honor in the baseball
world
Club owners have helped along this
idea by their constant disregard of
sentiment in place Of the dollar. Moth
ing gave the ardent fan greater joy
than to know his team had won a
worlds pennant. yet the club owners
never understood that fact.
Instead of displaying the purple and
gold flag. emblematic of diamond su-
premacy, at the opening of the follow
with pride, they reserved that occa-
sion for a later date to make a pen
nant day. by which few more dollars
ualgut be drawn through the turnstiles
Some Greedy Magnate's Plan.
The opening day of season always
was the day for flying whatever pen
nants team had won in the previous
year when baseball was a sport, not a
commercial proposition. But some
greedy owner conceived the idea that
christening a pennant would be wasted
on the opening day Of the season, when
the enthusiasm Of the fans insured a
big crowd, anyway. SO these flag days
were deferred until later and staged on
days when there would be little interest
IN the games ordinarily. That idea was
quickly adopted by the other club own
erS.
Here is how the promoter Of team
OF worlds champions has been playing
the coin game for several years past:
Before the season started two pennants
-,-one for winning the league champion
ship and the other for coping the
worlds pennant-reposed in the lock-
ers OF his clubhouse. The real sports
man would have flung those pennants
to the breezes just as soon as possible
on opening day. But there always is
big crowd on that day, II the weather
man is not peevish.
Always Chasing NIckels.
So the club owner looked through
MS schedule and picked out two dates
IN the middle of the week, against
CUBS, that are not likely to be good
drawing cards, and selected those for
his flag raising days. On one of
them he had christening for the
league pennant and on another he float
ed the worlds championship banner
before an admiring public, and reaped
a Few extra thousand dollars bv that
process.
That attempt to commercialize the
sentiment and loyalty of the home
fans has Gone great deal to iniure
the sport Of baseball. Club owners
have been warned by baseball writer's
against this exploitation of pennant
days, and on some occasions much ridi-
Guile has resulted when team in the
second division has dedicated" a
pennnnt won many months before
There could be no exultation in the
hearts of the rooters when they finally
saw the bunting that should have been
displayed from the first day of the sea
son.
Contrasted with Football.
College football is sport which. If
It were possible to play it the year
round. would make professional base
ball so back close to the classified ada.
but football cannot be played every
day IN the year for six or seven
months. And the secret of footballs
hold on the public is sentiment connect
I'd with 1.-THE knowledge in the minds
not only of the alumni but of the pub
hc. that each man is giving his best,
not for coin but for love of his pals
md his alma mater.
1t has been said derisively that coll
ege football was 80 per cent "Rah-
rah" That was no knock. If profess
sional baseball had retained it's "Rah-
-ah" sentiment it would be much bet !
ter than having the dollar sign take
he place of civic pride.