The Detroit tribune. (Detroit, Mich.) 1935-1966, 1937-12-18
. hat About The
Negro Lea CUES
BY Russ ]. Cowans

BY Russ j. COWuns
II Is the exuberant ambition OF
the many sepia sport writer's
throughout the country to break
down racial bars and gain admit
lance OF colored baseball players
| to the major leagues. And that's q
mighty fine thing.
But 1 believe that there's bet
| ter and more urgent job which
could be done right In their own
back yards-clean up Negro base
ball and fight TO put II on pay
ing basis.
For instance. ii the boys are sue
cessful--and ! hope they are--in
obtaining employment for Negroes
| in the major leagues( there would
be at most only 16. admitting for
the sake Of argument that every
team in the two leagues would hire
a Negro player-which l don't
think they would do right now
What will the boys do with the
other hundreds Of Negro baseball
players who would not be able TO
gain lucrative employment?
The boys are overlooking the
fact that they must have de-
veloping ground for players whom
they hope to place in the major
leagues. The American Association.
II the International League, Southern
Association Pacific Coast League.
and many others are. at present.
testing grounds for the major lea
que Why not make the Negro cir
cult such proving grounds?
The present setups OF the two
, leagues now functioning are notori-
Gus for their competent ineticiency
A continuation of this ineiilciency
is an injustice to the baseball fans
who have been patient these many
years.
The owners in the leagues have
some control over these existing
evils and should do something to
correct them. They will find that
the fans are eager and willing To
cooperate at all times in q, eai.ng
better leagues. This would 5e cs-
pecially so II the owners would
condescend enough to RELEASE some
batting. fielding. and pitching
averages. They might also try Civ
ing the fans some information
about the leading base stealer in
the league. or the man who drives
in the most runs. Just good TOO !
for the fans to MUNICH as thy con-
gregate in the barber shops. hotel
Hobbies, street corners. and sun
dry other places TO comparr The
ability of players.
| Negro baseball will never amount
to very much until the owners can
sell the league 10 the fans. pfovok-
ING old John Public and his fam
lily To 80 out and argument about
the relative merits OF various play
ers in the league. And who can
argue without something subsan-
tia like figures Ito give support
TO the contentious made? The aims
had to have figures TO make com
PARSONS between Babe Ruth and
Ty Cobb, between Walter Johnson
and Christy Mathewson. between
Mordecai Brown and ED Walsh. and
. many others.
In addition. the owners must
clean up the parks In he league
The majority Of the parks in the
league are in delapidated condition
One would think twice before es-
corting the wife out 10 the park
to have her new Sunday dress
spoiled by the accumulation OF
dirt in the seats. The fences sur
rounding the parks are eyesores.
The only good parks occupied by
teams in the league are those teams
: using American Association, South
ern Association. and International
Leagues, and in few instances. the
major league parks.
There Is serious need for more
. men in the league with sufficient
capital to carry them through a
season. This was evidenced sew
eral times last year when teams
were unable to make scheduled ap-
pearances In cities because the
: owners found II hard 10 produce
the transportation or meet the
payroll.
Why isn't II possible for the
owners OF the league 10 hold a
meeting before the holidays and
! prepare for the impending sea
son. instead OF waiting until thirty
: days prior TO the opening OF the
: campaign and then bustling in and
trying to do in two days what II
!, would take three or four TO do
Your answer is as good as mine.
Organized Negro baseball ha:
1 been operating In the elementar,
grades long enough. II Is time
that the owners began pulling TO-
gether and made some attempt Il
!. extricate themselves from the ru
}. in which they have been wallowinl
d for the last eight or nine years.
And this, my friends. would b'
building a school from which IN,
v graduates could enroll in the col
d lege OF major league baseball. Let'l
t get together and give the fans I
substantial league with plenty. o
r publicity emanating from genera
headquarters.