Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 6, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 January 1918 — TALK HURTING GAME [ARTICLE]

TALK HURTING GAME

Pessimistic Utterances of Owners Doing Sport Harm. If Calamity Howler* Keep on Crying They Will Make Public Believe Baseball I* Dead—No Use for Cork-Cored Slacker. Baseball owners are.doing the sport untold harm by spreading pessimistic reports of the game’s future that have no foundation in fact If the Calamity Janes of the major and minor leagues keep on crying they will make the public believe that baseball is dead and they will divert their interests to some other form of sport. Of course, if professional baseball to any degree is going to interfere with America’s war preparations or hinder war operations,J it should be suppressed without delay. Throwing a lariat around the kaiser’s neck is a matter of bigger consequence than paying a cork-cored slacker a small fortune for “soldiering” on his manager, writes Jimmy Isaminger. But through the exercise of some intelligence, it should be possible for America to get its mind off the horrors of warfare by attending its favorite sport, and at the same time not Interfere with our participation in the great world conflict. In England, which is nearer the battle scene than is the United States, the patronage at theaters has been extremely, heavy, because there must be a time in the week when John Bull can forget barrage fire, gas attacks and U-boat atrocities. Soccer, which was abandoned at first, is playing to ’large crowds, for the reason that it was seen that dropping the sport altogether was a mistake. The continuance of Sport tends tc preserve the morale of the nation, and no .sport should be dropped unless for military or economic reasons. These minor leaguers in Louisville who .picture so many black clouds in the 1918 baseball horizon forget that one 'major league club cleared close to $250,000 this year. ’ There is no doubt that -1918 will-not be the best year in the big leagues, but there will be no difficulty if the leaders adapt themselves to war conditions. Let them retrench. Surely the players will stand for a reasonable cut in salary. It is said that theatrical managers have decided on a cut. Eliminate unnecesary expenses Look into pay rolls. More than one club in baseball carries deadwood on its executive and business staff. High salaried officials could be sent on a vacation. For the duration of the war, the club’s roster could be cut to 18 players as a wartime basis. Clubs carry a flock of assistant managers, coaches and helpers who could be spared for a while. Baseball hasn’t been put to the lifeblood test yet. It has plenty of reserve force left.