The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1936-05-23

Williams years the pattern
was unchanged,
but last year the professional man
ayers took over the game, ignored
the customers and picked their own
players.
From the beginning, 1t has been
the contention of this department
that the game should be in COM
plete control OF the customers; that
they should rot only be permitted
to pick the players but direct them
on the field. In short, that this
should be the Gay in the year when
Gus H. Fan is given a chance to
boss the whole works, to prove just
how good a second guesser he is.
Old Gus is always trying to run
the game from the centerfield
bleachers anyway; he is a gent of
vast wisdom and is never at loss
to explain what is wrong with the
team as whole, why the batting
order isn't furctioning and what
would happen if the manager had
taken Rubber Arm O'Goofty out of
the box before he did
THE all-star game is a novelty
Il and nothing else. 1t does not
pretend to determine the relative
strength Of the two leagues. Such
an attitude would be silly because it
would be a direct knock at the
world series. If the all-star game
were significant from this stand
point, what would be the reason
for the fall playoffs?
Why not go all the way, then, and
let the customers take over the
game in its entirety? If the players
can be picked by popular vote, so
can professional managers.
There is always a champion fan in
every city Some half dozen or so,
in fact. Why can't two of these be
named by vote along with the play
ers? Besides it seems nothing short
of rank reconsideration not to give
these industrious second guessers a
chance to show what they can do
in the dugout.
There seems little possibility of
winning this point for the July
game In Boston, but it is encourag-
ing that our campaign 10 make this
a gala day, for the grand stand
managers has at least succeeded in
recapturing the privilege of picking
most of the players. And next year
we'll come mighty close to having
old Gus down there in the dugout,
too.
1t seems to me that from a self
ish point of view alone the baseball
powers are stupid in not encourage
ing every possible fan activity in
connection with the all-star game
The very existence of the baseball
bSuiness depends on fan enthusiasm
and to ignore any opportunity to
flame this enthusiasm is beyond
understanding.
ME an-Star game comes at a
Il time when general interest be-
gins to bog down. At least half of
the teams are definitely out of the
race. Only the possible winners
can count on the fans for con-
tinued support. The game becomes
a tonic, shot-i -the-arm that
gets all the fans talking baseball
again. And If it is the fans game,
their very own. doesn't it stand to
reason they would talk that much
louder and longer?
I discussed this with one of the
younger and more imaginative club
owners some time ago and he ex-
pressed the fear that it any one but
an established baseball man sat in
the dugout the players would make
a farce of the game and that in
time it would be ridiculed out of ex-
iStence. 1 doubt this very much.
Few players would be that dumb,
and most players take pride in their
performances before league crowds.
And besides there has been no
great effort on the part of some of
the professionals to make this a
serious test up to now. The Ma
tional Leaguers have been particu-
larly negligent. Their attitude to-
ward the fans has almost. been one
of insolence. refer you specifically
TO the game last year at Cleveland.
~ n n
TINE National Leaguers came UP
Il to this game with only one star
pitcher ready to go-and then for
some strange reason ne wasn't
called on at the start. Hal Schu-
macher was the fit pitcher and he
didn't get into the game until it
was lost. Three other stars. Dizzy
Dean, Paul Derringer and Carl
Hubbell we're used the day before.
No criticism could be directed at
Bill Terry of the Giants. He had
saved Schumacher for the game
and could not be expected to save
his other race. Hubbell, too. But
the other managers showed by their
actions that as far as they were
concerned the all-star game was
distinctly pain in the neck-and
so were the fans who had gathered