Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-01
Killing Ihterestin heNatiounl
Sport, Maintains Smoky City Star
Lufelder; Fans Prefer Brains to Brazvn
and WouM Like to See More "Innde"
Scientifically Played Ball Games.

THE man who hits the homers now receives
the most publicity in the sports pages.
showing the pitcher and fielder into the back
ground. "Ruths Homer Wins for Yanks" is
headline which has appeared on sports pages
many times. with little or no mention of a
stop and throw by Iaz2eri or marvellous catch
by Meusel that may have been of equal inn
portance to the team.
Fifteen years ago the championship Phila-
delphta Athletics had q star Slugger who was
known as Home Run Baker. Ten homers o
season was considered good for him. Now
We have Ruth, Gehrig, Simmons and Foxx in
the American League and Klein. Off, Wilson.
Bottomey and Hornsby in the National League,
all shooting toward the so mark for the year.
For some years the fans were delighted with
this increased smuggling Many still are. But
there are others who think the lively ball idea
has been overdone; that home runs have be-
come so common they are losing their effect
upon the fans.
Here IS the opinion of one of them, Frank
Wiener. chairman of the PENNSYLVANIA State
Athletic Commission and car of boxing in
the keystone State, who says: Base bali GER
tainly has changed in the last few years. due
to the lively ball. It doesn't hold the same
thrill for me 1t did In former years.
I think the lively ball has ruined the game
It's easier to make home runs now than it
Is to make doubles or triples The scientific
side Of the game has ceased to exist. The
sacrifice bunt, the squeeze play and the dou-
BILE steal are seldom used. Base-stealing is q
lost art. Ty Cobb stole eighty three bases in
1911 and ninety-six in 1915. Now Frankie
Frisch and Kiki Cuyler, just about the best
aSe-StealerS. are lucky to reach FORTY"
The reaction Of this man, prominent in
sports. Is interesting but not so much so as
the views Of the man generally regarded as
the greatest third baseman of the decade and
one Of the best Of the century And the
unique part Of his statement is that Pie Tray-
nor IS not pitcher but hitter; man with
lifetime major-league batting average Of
BIT and considered the most dangerous Pr
rate with men ON bases
Il think the lively ball is killing interest
in base ball and that the game is doomed UNI
less 1t is changed back to Q sphere at least
resembling the bali which was used fifteen
years ago." says Traynor
The Pirate star Is . keen observer of what
Is going on In ball park as we'll as in a ball
game. He is constantly asking questions about
players ne has never seen and looking over
the crowd to see whether 1t is smaller or larger
than on his last trip. So the opinions of this
keen. intelligent player are Of more than pass
ing interest
L believe the magnates are going to make
change at the end Of this year." he added.
Il don't know the figures, but I think there
National League cities. The Cubs draw big
crowds. We are being supported wonderfully
In Pittsburgh his year. The Giants are
drawing well. But that's all. We three clubs
are the leaders"
IN the American League the big money
makers this year are the Athletics and
New York, Cleveland and Detroit having finan-
cial success. In st. Louis the Browns have
failed to draw heavily despite the success
OF Dynamo Dan Howley. No great crowds
surged out to see the Browns July games with
the AS and Yanks, and as for Boston-865
persons paid to see the game of July IT.
This falling of in attendance is due not
only to the fact that certain clubs are not
in the race but also because of the preponder-
ance Of home runs and smuggling, Traynor be-
neveS.
"out in Chicago I noticed one day that
the fans yelled louder when Cuyler stole three
bases than they did when Hank Wilson hit
home rum continued Pie so far as