The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1921-08-20

Baseball has gone past the sport stage
and gone far into the stage Of being an
amusement enterprise We are incIin"i
TO object and 70 argue that th!s is som
thing new. and that We should pa
more attention TO the sport and less 10
the bIsiT ess Of the game.
! As matter OF fact. prcsent-day base
! ball club owners are paying less atten-
! tion ~ the amusement features ana
! tn~a,rica! possi bi!itics OF baseball IMAM
. was done in the old la 81 the game.
/ We kick and complain because OF
the standardization of tho sport ana
tho fact that too ,it;le attention IS de-
voted to tho game !'sc;f and too mu"h
TO the purely commercial features. fc'
from the first the effort OF the hascp" u
club owners has bern 10 attract crowns
by theatrical features.
, The modern fan secs bunch OF SHOW
emily. careless. s'ouChy athletes attTed
n dirty and often disreputab bic uni
: forms s,rolling and struggling np me
/ field. slouchinE through practice ana
! making no show whatever. IT Is not
! generally remembered by the present
generation OF fans but in the carry
days Of the sport there were ado"d
features
Do You member tnS Navy
In the mid epochs of baseball the
/ Nadjy came into use. II was the ioea-
as recall it. Of Billy Barnte who In
! sisted that there we're certain Cere-
moniaIs which added 10 the attractive
ness Of baseball lie had his CLUB neat
" uniformed. He sat in front OF thc
stands The players attired themselves
, in their uniforms. walked in military
To-. hn
/ lutcd and scattered for practice.
Inter the "Nadjy" developed. the
players instead Of wearing bagGy. dirty
and carclcsSly cleaned uniforms. wore
knitted tights Of various .colors. form
fitting and neat. Over these they wore
dress coats. They marched upon the
field In military formation. saluted tn"
crowds, removed the dress coats ana
scattered TO practice in their tights.
! 1t may sound a bit ridiculous. hut 1t
certainly added to the showmanship or
the sport. The spectacle OF the p!ayeres
marching upon the field in body in
straight lines and facing the crowds
| had it's spectacular effect. Also II had
. something OF team value which is
. lost when thirty men SLOUGH up the
. field at irregular intervals. In those
days the crowds arose and chccrcd tn"
of importance and size.
Later than that Anson's famous
White Stockings used 10 come up the
field. an army Of giants. att!red in uni
forms and swathed in huge macktnaw
. robes Each team in the league marched
IN line toward the stands. stopped and
/ then. stripping on robes. dashed for
: their positions.
All this added to the spectacular or
show interest Of the sport. and there is
no doubt that it added TO the interest
and attractivrnCss OF the game 1t gave
Ihc fans a chance to identify their
heroes. 10 recognize individual stars
/ and 1t made show which is lacking ~
I day.
When In an rnnsld NY
I President Jack Ieydlcr Of the Ma
tonal league. in deciding the protested
game o. July - between Pittsburgh
and New York in favor OF the Giants
handed down a decision which. in et-
fe't. gives the umpire entire power to
mace and TO interpret the rules on the
, rtli G.ld
Pittsburgh protested the game on the
grounds that Umpire KLEIN failed to
call an inhcld fly. The ball was hit
almost straight up over the catcher
with runners on first and second bases.
II IOUNc' HS II II "OnIu l3il lOul. Out
the wind blew 1t onto fair ground.
SNYDER mUffrd IND hall. recovered
and the two runners. helpless on the
hasr. were forced out.
/ Mr.. Heydler instead OF interpreting
! the rule gets out OF the difficulty by
ruling. The only question 10 be de-
: trrnined here is whether or not the
bail 50 hit was An Hnhcld fly. The
+ umpire ru'cd thar II WAS not and as
' his decs on on all matters Of fact and
. judgment is final and absolutely no an-
peal can be taken thcrcfrom
IN appeal. however. can BE- taken
from Mr.. Hcydlcr'S reasoning. although
~ .hiG individual case his verdict is in
all probability correct He is right in
stating that the un'pi=e's decision on
matters Of fact and Judgment is final.
Eu' his appears ~ be 4 plain case NJ
p INTERPRETATION Of the ruir. The !nNrid
ny rule was made 10 prevent r"Uu"rS
Z from being held helpless on bases and
! forced out without chance 20 advance.
This Is exactly what happened in this
. arS" which would seem 70 argue Tint
the fly vas an infrld fly and that Mr..
q kl"m erred
Tho ;ning. however. Is 10 prevent the
! rrrurrcrcc of such plays. II a fiy fail