The globe-independent. (Hagerstown, Md.) 1943-19??, 1951-08-30

Roosevelt's address given at the
opening of the Jamestown Tercen-
tennial Exposition in 1907, in our
Horse and Buggy Days" column on
page three, l think you will
agree with me that the address also
fits perfectly the tragic situation in
the world today.
The principal topic of converse
ton around town this week-in fact
you might say the only TOPICS the
Touchdown, drag-out fight between
Hagerstown and Allentown for the
Interstate League pennant, and the
absolutely ridiculous story that Gene
Raney is threatening to take his
baseball franchise out of Hagers-
town
Dealing first with the franchise
question, l have known Gene Raney
for the past ten years and although
he has never spoken to me at any
time this year about moving the ball
club, l have no hesitation in saying
that there is not a word of truth
in it.
It is, of course, true that the at
tendance this year will be some
10000 below last years all time rec
ord of $4,000, but I think you will
find that it will also be true, that
when the final attendance figures of
the season are released, Hagers-
town, for the second year in a row,
will be on top.
I have not been watching and
writing about baseball games for
close to 40 years without knowing a
little about the cost of operating a
ball club, and you can take my word
for it that no minor league club
owner, in this day and time, is max
ing lot of money--in fact most of
them are losing money. The expense
involved in operating a ball club
goes a lot deeper than just paying
the salaries of the players on the
team, the other employees, and the
expense of road trips, etc. An
owner of a club if he is sincere-as
Mr.. Raney is-in building up play
ers for the future, has a number of
youngsters optioned out to clubs in
lower class leagues, and the owner
of the club has to pay part of their
salary, and you will probably be
surprised to know that the Hagers-
town ball club has several young
sters out on option that you and
have never heard of, but they are
a part Of the operating expense of
the HagerstoWn club.
Knowing Mr. Raney as | do, 1 can
assure you of this one fact. If the
time should ever come that he finds
it necessary to move his franchise
somewhere else, you will hear about
it directly from him, for that's just
the sort of man he is. So just dis
regard these stupid rumors and get
on out to the ball park for the two
remaining games of the season at
home, on Saturday night and Sun
day afternoon
Now let's take. a look at this fight
for the pennant. AS this is written
- Tuesday afternoon - we are
deadlocked with Allentown, but the
situation can change materially be-
fore you read my column on Thurs
day morning. But win, lose or draw,
/ want to repeat what I have said
many times before, both in this col
umn and in ION the street" discus
sionS
Dutch Dorman has done a re-
markable job and he has been, and
is being, backed up to the hilt, not
only by Mr.. Raney, but by every
boy on the squad l don't believe
that there is a team in the league
today that has a better spirit than
Hagerstown, and the way Dutch has
handled his club is one of the rea-
sons why that spirit exists.
In that game with Lancaster on
Sunday afternoon, when the fans
booed Dutch numerically when he
took Pete Perrin out of the box,
after he had given up two straight
doubles in the sixth inning, and sent
Charlie Miller to the mound, he
showed the stuff of which managers
are made.
Back in the winter, when it was
announced that the club had signed
Andy Bush and Charlie Miller there
was plenty of criticism, most of il
being aimed at Charlie Miller. But
that game on Sunday afternoon
when, after pitching nine innings tc
win the first game, he came back in
the second game and pitched three
and-one-third innings and won the
CnYop cIoxxraI D,,+oL