Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-08-27
ATCHISON'S
ANGL E
Innocent Bystonders
DY LEWIS :. ATcHIsoN

FIRST TO FEEL the impact Of major league baseball
the West Coast will be pro footbalhe San Francisco
Forty-Nine and Los Angeles Rams. Last week you
needed private eye to discover that the FortyNners
would play the Redskins Sunday after Horace Stone
hams announcement that the Giants going West
Sundays attendance Of 24.7s1 at Kezar Stadium
far cry from the 81 201 who the two teams battle
the first time 1885, but still good for game that
didn't count in the league standings
Until now, pro football and horse racing have been
the only sports the Coast with major league label
Now they have to and perhaps play second
fiddle to the diamond sport.
Tony Morabto's feud with San Francisco newspapers
hasn't helped the Forty Miners situation The dour little
clubowners childish tactics of barring certain members
Of the press from the teams dressing roo forbiddng
Coach frankie Albert to talk to them etc. has added
fuel to the IRE. More important Tony hasn't come up
with championship in either the AlAmerca Confer
ence or National Football League The Forty Miners never
have finished higher than second.
q
THE BASEBALL GIANTS won't hurt either the Forty
Miners Rams during thefreguar football season Trou-
BILE is that Tony and the Rams like most other owners
count on the preseason take to help smooth the financial
rough spots The exhibitions frequently the diff
ference between losing money and breaking even
Lou Spada, general manager of the Forty Miners
knowedgeS that his club could be in trouble the Giants
put strong contender the field II the pennant
Is close in September.
But you've got to have a winner Lou said mean
ing in any sport ITO bring EN- out stadium, good
roads and plenty Of parking won't help unless the fans
have something to cheer about"
The novelty Of big league baseball undoubtedly will
give both Stoneham and the Brooklyn Dodgers- they
make their anticipated move to Los Angeles running
financial start the West Coast But some say San
Francisco at least, won't go hog wild over baseball as
Milwaukee did when the Braves moved in The roller
coaster city has too many other attractions for baseball
to claim the cys undivided attention Folks out there
have feeling that will be only few years before the
West Coast takes the sports play away from the East with
championship nghts basketball and what have you
IN LOS ANGELES, the Rams hold on a sports-minded
multitude has been unchalenged Dons and the
Al-America Conference folded years ago. They've
scheduled preseason games without fear Of competition
from the two Pacific Coast League baseball teams in the
neghborhood or from any other sport But it will be
different with the Dodgers in town.
They'll have to take a look at the calendar before
scheduling preseason games" says George Marshall Red
skins owner who is familiar with the problem "The base
ball teams may not get out of their way the other fell
lows nave done 1t coud affect game in Los Angeles
That preseason games important revenue raisers
for the Rams is obvious They had some $1,000 paid
against the Giants last week and the Rams-Redskins
game has melted 81 million for the Los Angeles Times
Charities The newspaper Of course goes all out in pro-
noting the game.
Los ANGELES MAY have the edge on San Francisco
for baseball weatherwise The Giants will encounter cold
foggy nights in the Bay CITY, especially in April and May
ana may be forced to play In the afternoon Los Angeles
weather Is ideal for night ball.
1t isn't easy say how the Rams will fare at the hoy
once forced to share public interest and the sports
columns with the Dodgers the big show in town they've
had reams OF publicity, good and bad with comnists
operation.
AS one football observer noted may be good to have
the Dodgers around. They might take little pressure
on the football team when things go wrong for Coach
Sid Gllman's men,
What will happen If both teams are losers will bs
interesting to watch