Evening star., 1939-01-10
Still Tops All.
Sports, Says
n. |. Prexy
Frick Looks to It
To Be Even Greater
As Years Go BY
(This is another in a series
1Dritten for the Associated Press
by sports leaders.)
BY FORD FRICK,

NEW YORK, Jan. 10.-I hope it's
not treason If I say-in this centen-
NAL year celebrating baseball's CEN
tury Of progress since its natal sum-
mer Of 1839-that I'm looking in
the other direction with Just As
much, If not more, interest.
Baseball's first 100 years make a
glamorous story. The boys scamper-
ing about the village green Of Coop
erstown, in upstate New York,
learned principles in mechanics and
rules that brought order and mean
ing TO their helter-skelter exertions.
Abner Doubleday devised the rules
entirely to help the local youngsters
get more enjoyment out Of their
play.
He outlined game and founded
tradition. From Cooperstown
commons to the national game of
1899 is a great record of achieve
ment. Achievement not of one man
or OF one set of men, but testimony
that the thing itself-baseball, the
game Of our grandfathers, our
fathers, ourselves-has had a scope
and an influence much greater than
perhaps anybody yet realizes.
Its Achievements Amazing.
The centennial year celebrations,
enrolling the entire baseball uni
verse, from its capitoline center,
Judge Lands office, to the farthest-
flung outpost of amateur diamond
competition, aims to crystalline this
century Of achievement. In our Ma
tional League motion picture, THE
National Came" we have tried to
catch the high lights, sketch the
outlines, portray something of the
heroic proportions of baseball's in
fluence. think today more people
than ever before are aware of and
impressed by the loftiness of base
ball traditions and of how deep are
the roots Of the game In our national
life.
The centennial year, before it is
finished, will have greatly increased
this national consciousness of its
No. game. This 1889 into which
we are stepping will be sure to
have its share of record-making in
the various departments of play.
There will be red = hot pennant
races here and there in many of
the 40 leagues now busily engaged
in preparing for campaigning. Ours,
incidentally, at this point gives
every promise of being the hottest,
hardest-fought, most evenly con-
tested of the long series of Septem-
ber-drive-decided races which have
characterized the National Leagues
chapters of baseball history.
Sees . Glamorous Future.
But. standing in the presence of
the first hundred years, I can't help
looking ahead, too. Baseball's cen
tury of progress, glamorous though
1t is, impressive, momentous, is
really only the beginning of the
story.
Its lessons are great. 1t was 4
game of youth in 1889 on the Coop
erstoWn commons. 1t is a game
OF youth today. It seems to me
that when another hundred years of
baseball have rolled their course the
spirit of youth will still be its
breath of life, its fountain OF
strength.
It's a game of square shooting
competition, honest play, clean and
above any possible suspicion of dou-
ble-dealing. The National League
took its stand on that cornerstone
In its first three years of existence.
I think that's the reason why the
National League today stands as
the oldest living baseball organiza-
ton.
The century's record offers q host
of lesser lessons, too, and I'm not
turning my back on them when I
say the next hundred years are at
least equally as important to con-
slider.
Must Look to Future.
Other new year seasons I've been
largely interested In more imme-
diate matters-moves made by this
or that club In our league, questions
Of policy, schedules, night baseball,
affairs quite important, no doubt.
This year I'd like to offer just
this thought, not complex at all,
perhaps not very striking or original.
But I think it's worth utterance
and consideration. I know it is to
our league and to me. I believe
that it is to every league and every
individual to whom baseball means
anything.
Let's celebrate centennial year not
only by looking back over the his
toric hundred-year vista, but also
by looking ahead to the important
years yet to come.