The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1935-07-10

are AIO"A-
$s Kirk Miller ing on the
y continuation of the mid-sea-
son inter-league contest.
You have undoubtedly de-
tected the pretense at which
President Ford c. Frick is sup
posed to be grabbing as a lever
by which to GUST the game
the claim that unless the Ma
tionaI League managers take
this contest more seriously its
death knell is soon to be tolled.
Grabbing at Straw
That leaves the impression
the National League cannot &C
cept its third straight defeat at
, the hands of the American
League, as gracefully as good
craftsmanship would dictate.
But such a moan is only a
straw at which baseball is grab
bling in order to nudge this July
baseball contest into oblivion.
Baseball, as was pointed out
here several days back, doesn't
like this game because it takes
the focus off the main issues
the two pennant races-and be-
cause for ten days previous to
and following the game, grabs
newspaper and radio attention
that the mogulS feel should be
uninterruptedly theirs from mid
April to early october when the
world series Is finished.
I know Ford Prick, the young,
level-headed, chief executive Of
the National League entirely too
well to take very seriously the
statements credited to him that
the managers didn't call out
their best material to defend
the fair name of the league in
the third chapter of the all.
= star series. Both teams per.
sonnet had league approval.
I fear my young friend Mr..
Prick is being goaded on by
some of the club owners to put
up the false front which is
, attributed to him in his alleged
condemnation Of the lack Of
sincerity said to have been dis
played toward National League
managers in recruiting the team
flying the colors Of that loop.
How About World Series?
The reaction which has set in
in high National League quar-
, tiers since its representatives
took their third straight drub-
bling, merely verifies the atti-
tude which baseball has had
from the outset of the all-star
games, an attitude of opposition
and intolerance.
And as for the claim set up
that the outcome of this game
draws too fine a line with re-
spect to the comparative
strength of the two leagues;
why, that is simply ridiculous!
I don't suppose the world Sc
ries establishes such compari-
son, only a more definite and
conclusive one, does it?
I don't suppose, either. that
any of us will ever live long
enough to remember hearing
any magnate in. the business
suggesting for a moment that
the world series, with its pot of
gold at which the magnateS
shoot, be discontinued because
OF the possibility that it shows
up one league or the other as
being inferior or superior, as
the case may be.
A Counter Proposal
I wonder what the magnates
would say to mid.season all
star series in which two players
from each team would be ap-
pointed to form a galaxy that
would play three games in mid.
July, half the proceeds to go to
the charitable purposes for
which the present game is
played, and the other half to be
split several ways among the
teams contributing the two
players each? Any club that
wished to demur could do so.
That would make an excep.
tional three-game series which
would put some life in the
middle Of dragging five-month
schedule and, at the same time.
the makeup of the teams would
be different from the world
series plan, taking no edge off
the autumn classic.
J Too, it would keep the Golfers
Of the Association Of Profess
sional Players pretty we'll filled.
It ought to. in q manner,
; recompenSe the complaining
! magnates for the present hiatus
In the regular schedule.
And it should stir up some
mid.year interest in baseball,
particularly in the cities where
remnants are not in prospect.
But it is doubtful if baseball
ID forward-looking enough to
entertain so radical a departure
from its placid path.