The Wilmington morning star., 1945-01-21
" artime Professional
Sports Gets Blow For
Long Count
BY BUS HAM

WASHINGTON, Jan. 90 ,
wartime professional Sports Il 49, u
get knockout punch from, Ir 'e,5
Sam today, at least they.u o WYE
a long count. i'su
The Army came pretty clo,. .
finishing what JIMMY b. "
started about month AGO ~. '. .5
nounclng that professional st,fo a
will no longer be rejected ~
physical disability until their css ~.
have been reviewed by the W.,
Department. '''
In sport circles, this was aooo..
ed as the finishing touch Nv i.
answer to the question that o'
gained baseball and professioH.,
football have been asking: ,Wner.
do we go from nere?"
For most of thes4 athletes II.
apparent answer is that thew ao
into uniform, either for eenor AZ
(combat duty or to d. less cy,
acting tasks in this country.
The Army's blow landed ipo
wnen persons concerned with
horse racing and baseball were
mapping out future plans.
Baseball was prepared In cos.
fer with high government Officials
next week to see if some men
rejected as physically unfit might
be allowed to play, and not re-.
CURED under Work-or-jail rule,
to go into war plants,
Otherwise, baseball people feIt
that it would be extremely diff,
cult for them to continue with only
teen-age youngsters ard oldsters
available.
The answer here apparently Is
that not enough professional st0.
letes will be rejected to make
any difference in basebalIs man.
power situation.
Horse racing was discussing The
effect If Byrnes' shutdown Of all
tracks, and whether absenteeism
has been reduced.
Some contended that absentee.
ism at tracks near war plants has
not been cut since the shutdown
January 3, and apparently were
about ready to use this as an
argument for resumption of rae.
ing.
The War ManpoWer Commission
said that no figures OIL absentee.
ism are available for the short
period that has elapsed since the
shutdown.
Racing had also Just demon,
strated anew its willingness to
fully cooperate in the struggle
for additional manpoWer by agree.
ing to release approximately 300
men under 46 TO war work,
These men are in addition 10
those obliged to turn 10 other jobs
as a result of the racing shut
down, the VINO said,
This makes sure that no case
will slip by" War Department
source said of the athleteFeec
ton order.
War Mobilization D irectOr
Byrnes in his call for re-examna
ton of pro athletes said it was
difficult for him and the public
to understand how men can Dc
physically unfit for military SER
vice yet compete in the m95
strenuous athletics.
The new rule doesn't mean
lowering of physical standards Oh
tthat every such athletic called up
will automatically qualify for ser
vice, the Army explained, Oh
perfunctory examinations fs
over; they'll all be given clo"
attention now.
There won't be a whale o.
lot of these fellows, a spokesman
said. IF we took most Of tneH'
there wouldn't be 5000.
But sports people pointed o@
that such inductions would all''''
sweep the professional fields cIe'.
Big league baseball mad aOo.,
$50 players on its roster last Sss so
son, and professional footoaA u'''
less than 300.
The announcement deals sPes,
fically with professionals o0y ~
colleges also have many nan.
stars who have been cIaSSheu
AT and may be next on me w
view list. Not enough coliesla~
are exempted 10 be taken NV ",
ever, to materially weaken ''
+ooroc