The Washington times., 1922-06-12


cago White Sox. brought the last
championship to st. Louis away back
in 1888.
Commy was then . dashing
young first baseman and captain
Of the original Browns. He played
with Chris Ven der Ahe's famous
fOur-time winners. The Browns
were then In the old American As
ISOLATION and they won four flags
In succession, the last In one 1888.
Since 1902, st. Louis has had two
major league clubs-the Browns
and Cardinals-entered in the pen
nant races. The Browns finished
second in 1902 and third last season.
The Cardinals have seldom been in
the first DIVISION.
New York has bad double repre-.
sentation since 1908. when the
Yankees broke into the Metropolis,
and during the intervening nineteen
Years has collected two world
championships-six National League
remnants and one American League.
Every other major league city ex-
cept Washington has won champion
ships in these two decades. No won.
der the st. Louis fan Ia so starved
that the mirage now contured up ny
the Browns has excited his feverish
imagination to a point where he Is
willing to commit violence to attain
his goal
st. Louis develops more ball
players than any city Of It's sue.
st. Louis boys are scattered thick
ly through the major and minor
leagues, though few OF them have
ever attained prominence as mem"
bers Of the local teams.
The open lots Of the city are IN
cubators for leagues OF all classes
and a race Of hardy, vituperatiVe
ball fans has been developed also
Whenever either the Browns or the
Cardinals indulge in winning
streak. the home games are well
patronized by rooters who take a
keen delight in winning ana consioer
defeat personal affront. 81
Louis is considered the toughest
city for a ball player to make good
in and il Is a municipality intensely
disliked by umpires and visiting
PLAYERS because OF the temper OF ne
ba seball crowd.
Back in 1901 the Cardinals, then
managed by Pat Donovan. seemed on
the verge OF winning pennant when
American League raiders came along
and wrecked the club. 1t was years
before the National League recovered
from that blow and regained its pres.
tige here. The Browns just missed
winning the pennant the first year
they were revived by the American
Lea que. but so strong was the 81.
Louis sense of loyalty to the Carol
nails that the fans. though appreciat'
ing their ability. attended the games
merely to jeer them. The contract
jumpers as they were known back
in 1902, were never popular.
Time eradicated the old preju-
dices and six years later st. Louis
rooted sOIidly for the Browns In the
famous four. cornered fight OF 1SOS.
The Browns finished fourth only
a few games behind the Detroit
leaders.
At various times in later years the
Cardinals. first under Roger Bres'
nahan and then under Miller Hug
gins. manifested early season
strength only to succumb to the mld
Summer drought. The Browns sell
dom got out Of the second division
Finally It became the accepted the
ory that a St. Louis club could not
win a pennant. Many reasons were
advanced in the public prints: The
most plausible one was that the ter
rifle heat sapped the energy or 81
Louis teams during these long nome
stands in the summer and that 81
Louis team had to be at least 2o per
cent stronger than any rival to over
come this geographical handicap;
Many other alibis were offered IN
evidence Those malefacfors o'
great wealth - the owners OF me
New York clubs. bought up all the
good players. These rich sports
men, reveling in the enormous gaze
receipts made possible by specuia
ton several times greater Ihan iha'
OF st. Louis. seized ready'mnde stars
and maintained huge development
farms.
The poor, but honest. st. Louis
owners could not compete with
these capitalists. Then, there were
the umpires who never gave st.
Louis team the breaks. The
: leagues were aIways- sepdins the
worst umpires to st. Louis with In.
.tructions to favor New York.
In the last few years. however
ct, Louis has been slowly cured oI
these ideas. The local clubs have
developed star players and through
Intelligent management the Brown.
and Cardinals have become contend
ers. Each club features a star play
er. The Browns are built around
George Sisler and the Cardinal:
around Roger Hornsby.
Sisler and Hornsby are, battins
| leader. IN their respective leagues
and not even New York can boas
| Of their superiors.
SUNDT, BADGER ~" STAR,
TO COACH At RlPok