Evening star., 1922-12-31

cut OF eighth place.
Browns Tough FOemen.
st. Louis gave the Yankees Gsht
tor the championship to the last min
ute In the American League and lost
because the ST. Louis pitchers. were
Lot effective enough against tho New
York LatterS. In the fina' ser,es be-
tween New York and 81, Louis. which
vas played at St Louis in the twi-
hight o, the year, the Browns could
have won the pei.nant had they been
able 10 defeat the Yankees with IL
straight knockout. The New York
club Rover would have recovered
games in double headers also helped
20 defeat the Browns Tor the pen
nant and the ST. Louis manager con-
eedes that Washington. Philadelphia
end Boston took three games at vital
moments. which gave th. Browns Il
body blow.
Detroit was third in tie race with
good batting all OF the year and
assisted by the splendid pitching of Il
youngster by the name of Pillette,
who carried the team toward the top
by his brilliant midsurnme- work.
Those who Trailed.
Cleveland. in May. found that the
team had begun to dry up and imme-
diately started to rebuild. 1t won on
It's courage when it's pitching was not
always of the best
Chicago. Washington. Philadelphia
and Boston were the second division
quartet simply because the standard
second division. Philadelphia emerged
from eighth place after years OF
servitude at the bottom Of the list.
Good Year for the \. 4.
The American Association had the
lest season IN IT'S history. Th.
championship was won after Il keen
struggle in which tire, ciubs We're
lighting factors Z, various times. 81.
Paul vas the pennant team.
In the international League the
pennant race was dull and one sided
from the start as II was evident that
no team could defeat Baltimore.
Little World Series.
In the little world series which was
played between St. Paul and Balti-
more the latter won haadily. The
games were we'll attended.
A post season series was played by
Fort Worth Of the Texas League and
Mobile Of the Southern Association.
which was won by Mobile after a fine
struggle in which the citizens of the
contending towns rode in excursion
parties back and forth across the
southwest TO see the games: After
Mobile had won from Fort Worth it
undertook to play Tulsa of the West
ern League and was defeated. because
tie Tulsa pitchers were too good for
the southern champions and the latter
had undertaken 10 play too inich post
season base bail.
Const PrOnted by Sales.
out on the Pacific coast the season
never was better nor more enjoy
able. Both players and owners We're
happy.
The owners were especially crate
fui because they managed to get rid
of about & quarter of million dol
lars worth Of ball players who VIII
BE seen on eastern diamonds in lS2S
The Southern Association missed
the enthusiastic support of Atlanta
and Birmingham because neither of
them was provided with the kind OF
team that has made base ball famous
in those cities. Most of the excite
n,ent was divided between Memphis,
New Orleans and Mobile. with Little
Rocl, coming in for small share.
The Southern Association VIII be pet
ter Off next year.
Minor Leagues Prosper.
All of the minor leagues finished
their seasons except one. That is an
extraordinary record. 1t means that
base ball Is In much the same condi-
tion as 1t was prior to the war. 1t
Will continue to hold it's grip upon
the public so long as It's general con-
ditions are good and the traditions
of the game are upheld.
There is no doubt that there has
been too strong q tendency to COM
mcrcialize the sport and that this ex-
ploitation of dollars rather than base
hits has caused q feeling of resent
ment on the pArt of what Is known
as the old guard. To them base hall
is almost a sacred thing. which should
stand on its merits as a game and
which should not rest for 1t support
on the theory that 1t Is a show. The
Snowman has crept so insiduously into
the sport that even its strongest men
have been blind to where they have
been drifting.
Reforms Are Needed.
Regulations have been modified to a
very slight extent. in the relations
between club owners and players, but
there Is room for many more modifi-
cations which shall tend to destroy
the commercial atmosphere and re-
store to the professional side o! the
game the prevailing characteristic of
sport which once dominated II. Some
part OF this can be done by ending
the trafficking in players for huge
sums of money and ultimately it WI!
have to be done, as the principle Of
the practice is bad and the expense
an unnecessary tax upon the orhl'r
.C?p.-isI--. lScc:..J