The Wilmington morning star., 1947-03-02
The OTHER SIDE
of SPORTS
Nv CJ SMITH
BY GIL SMITH

-, Lippv Leo Durocher took what may be the knockout
punch Yesterday, when the religious leader of several thou
sand Brooklyn boys withdrew his organization from the
Dodgey Knothole gang, at the same tune slamm1ng the
Brooklyn boss for his "practlces on and OH the Ielo.
The action taken in this delicate situation bars
- several thousand teen-age Brooklyn boys and girls from
/. obtaining free tickets to the DOdger home games.
1t in no way, (other than a publicity b%lack-eye) hurts
the Brooklyn club, because the Dodger stronghold IS such &
great baseball town, Ebbets Field will be damned whenever
the attraction is worth a capacity crowd. 10 De cola ana
mercenary, the act will actually mean more dollars IN the
Dodger front office safe, as thousands OF seats formerly
fiven away, will be paid for this year.
The greatest injury in the action committed by
Rev. Vincent J. Powell, is to the children themselves.
Although the youth director did not openly declare the
~ reason for his decision to withdraw his organization
from the Knothole gang, was Durochers marriage to
%. LARAMIE Day, the fact remains if Durocher's actions on
90" the playing field were the cause OF the ban, 1t would
have happened long ago.
It's a pretty severe test of children too young to be
forced to take the test this asking them, or telling
them, not to attend a Dodger game on a free ducat, simply
because the adult members Of the group consider the Dodg-
er managers life at home somewhat immoral. The KIDS
don't care about that, in fact many OF them wouldn't have
piven the recent Durocher-Day wedding a second thought it
the elderly advisers" hadn't seen tit to bring the issue
up again.
Thousands of boys in Brooklyn will want to be
loyaI to their group leader, but when Hank Greenberg
arrives in town with the invading Pittsburgh Pirates,
e. it's asking too much to demand a young ian to stay at
= home. It's asking a lot more than those who ASK
would care to do themselves it they were In the same
boat.
Rev. Powell declares the Brooklyn skipper sis not the
Kind OF a leader we want our youth to ldeallZe and lmllate.
May we not suppose that a good %sprinkling OF the
boys who belong to the vast Brooklyn Knothole gang,
have the intelligence to go to a ball game without fol-
lowing in the footsteps of Durocher? Must adults
- continue to regard the younger generation as unable to
"think for themselves?
Knothole gangs are important, that much we know.
Last year, when Ed Danforth, sports editor of the Atlanta
Journal, suggested the St. Louis Cardinals were money
mad, when the Cards did away with their free tickets to
the young fans, the St. Louis organization went wild.
Lou Adamie, southern publicity man for the Cards,
ragged and ranted all over Georgia and Florida, decEar-
ing Danforth was in a "vitriolic attack upon the Cardi-
nails" H contended the Cards halted the Knothoie
practice because most of their home games were night
games, and the st. Louis officials did not feel the
: youthful fans should be out late at night, and didn't
want to encourage the nocturne activities.
But, despite Adamie's fervent attempts to right the
situation, the Cards were blasted for their action, because
fans all over the nation consider the Knothole practice one
OF the best in baseball.
1t was a powerful punch Rev. Powell Unbiased at
-Durocher, but the sock may boomerang, when the sea-
son gets underway, and members of his organization
attempt to be loyal to both their beloved Buns, and
their leader.
If a bit of hypocrisy invades Rev. Powelrs group, he
may have to blame himself.