Vol. 59—No. 11 Philadelphia, May 18, 1912 Price 5 Gents MAJOR LEAGUE LOSSES The Damaging Effects of the Cold and Rainy 1912 Spring Brings to the Front Two Important Questions, Namely, a Later Start of the Championship Season, and Financial Insurance Against Rain. EW YORK, N. Y., May 13. It have had just as bad training weather. is said in base ball resorts here, Again, May so far has been quite as without authoritative contra unpropitious as April. There is an im diction to date, that the major portant question to consider before pro league magnates . have under viding for a later opening. If two weeks consideration a novel form of are lopped off the playing season, are two insurance that will protect them finan weeks to be lopped off the players© con cially against losses by rain. There is a tracts? At present players are paid for company, supposedly a branch of Lloyds, six months. Would the magnates be will that is willing to speculate on the propo ing to go without such receipts as come sition, and the only thing holding it up in in April without reducing the time is the odds or premium, as they call it covered by the players© contracts to five in business. A plan of this kind was and a half months? It is a question of started two years ago, but the sun shone considerable moment to both player and so brightly on several Saturdays in the employer." East and Sundays in the West that it was O©DAY©S COURSE ALLOWED TO DROP. In other words, the magnates got cold Meets With the Approbation of President feet on paying the high premiums. The novel insurance concern is willing to take Lynch, of the National League. a risk on any day or all days in the week, Special to "Sporting Life." but the base ball people have figured that New York, N. Y., May 13. President such a plan would be unnecessary on Lynch, of the National League, is highly ordinary days, as the double-headers pleased with the showing his former um would draw in enough extra money to pire, Hank O©Day, is making with the . more than offset what would be gained by Cincinnati Reds. What is pleasing Lynch insurance, less the premium. Now it is especially is that the Reds are setting the proposed to speculate on pace without doing any umpire baiting. Said Mr. Lynch today : SATTJBDAYS AND SUNDAYS "An Impression seems to prevail that tha only way only. Two years ago the New York clubs a team can win Is to nag continually at the um lost something like $50,000 by rains on pires, and protest every decision, though It is known that the decision will not be chanted. If a team those days at home and on the road, and does not kick it is said they hare no spirit ia their this Spring starts in as if it was going worfe, and that they are not fighting for their rights. to break that record. Several of the most However, the Reds are showing that a team can play consistent ball without getting Into disputes with important games have been knocked out the umpires. O©Day is not permitting his men to already by rain and the losses are begin abuse the umpires, and so far he is holding his own ning to pile up. A game that is post with managers who are continually in need of dis poned on Saturday and Sunday cannot be ciplining. There are some managers who should take played on those dates again, because the a leaf out of O©Oay©s book." big crowd days are so arranged that the same two clubs do not get a whack at BUSH ASSAULTED them twice in a season. That necessi tates the double-header being played off A Brave New York Rooter Hits the Um on ordinary days, and there is a conse pire in the Dark. quent heavy loss. Special to "Sporting Life." New York, N. Y., May 11. It appear Losses Heavy to Date that in the jam following the game at the In commenting upon the probable losses Polo Grounds, Saturday, May 4, when a caused by bad weather up to May 8, the crowd surrounded the umpires, Klem and New York "Sun" of that date said, edi Bush, and shoved and jostled them cross torially : "A base ball club owner remark ing the field, the umpires, one of them ed yesterday that the postponements this anyway, didn©t escape with mere shoving season due to rain had cost the big NAPOLEON RUCKER and jostling. In the passageway under league clubs $200,000. This may be over Pitcher of the Brooklyn National League Club the bleachers, some lion-hearted rough, stating it a little, then again it may not, Napoleon Rucker, the famous south-paw pitcher of the Brooklyn National League Club, under cover of the poor light, landed a but it 4s entirely probable that the wide who pitched a no-hit game against Boston, September 5, 1908, was born at Alpharetta, punch on Bush©s neck. It is planned to spread and persistent drippiness of the Ga_, 26 years ago, now lives at Roseville, Ga.. and became a benedict in 1911. He went have a dressing room in the grand stand heavens has depleted exchequers at least to the Brooklyn Club in 1907 from the Augusta Club, of the South Atlantic League, where he attracted Manager Patsy Donovan©s attention in an exhibition game against the Superbaa. for umpires so they won©t have to cross $150,000. Up to yesterday there had been President Ebbets drafted him for $300 Fall of 1907. and in 1909 refused to trade him for the field as now, but even that won©t pro 27 postponements in the National League Roger Bresnahan. Prior to playing with Augusta, Kucker had a,n unsatisfactory try-out tect them if partisan spectators are work and 21 in the American, and receipts so with the Atlanta Club, of the Southern League, and was turned adrift. These are the ed up by the rowdy and unsportsmanlike far this year are much below normal. only clubs with which he has played. actions of players or managers, such as There have been big crowds out, but big are all too prevalent in base ball. crowds have had few opportunities com paratively to come out. Figuring on an Alleged Strike-Out Record average attendance of 5000, the one Saturday and one Sunday game in played. These three games alone, with Gainesville, Ga., May 6. Frank Baker, FORTY-EIGHT UNPLAYED GAMES the American League and three Saturday good weather, would have drawn 70,000 the young twirler of the Riverside Mili mean that the clubs are shy receipts from and two Sunday gam|s in the National. persons. tary Academy team, pitching against the 240,000 persons. That number of persons, Also there were three postponements of Georgia Military College team here today, allowing for a 50-cent admission rate, opening day games in each league. All of THE STARTING QUESTION. fanned 26 batters and established a new would mean $120,000. But even with the these days would have been good for big With the. bad Spring weather comes a record thereby. The first three men up 25-cent admissions there are so many 75- crowds. Not only did the Boston Ameri revival of the agitation to begin the cham hit safely. He struck out 26 of the last cent patrons that the average admission cans suffer the postponement of their pionship season later. A postponement 27 men to face him, with the exception of price probably© would be over 50 cents. opening game with the Highlanders, but until the first of May wouldn©t have been two who^^ii^h id first base safely on er- JChen again the^ postponements include the two Patriots© Day games were not any benefit this Spring. The clubs would. to 4. SPORTING LIFE MAY 18,1912 It was one of those brilliant coups you often see in base ball. The tide of battle THIS COUPON SEND ONE PIRATE-POINTS shifted at once. Sheckard was fooled by IS ONLY GOOD COUPON FOR Robbie©s first two pitches. They shot FOR 30 DAYS Philadelphia, May 18, ©12 EACH SERIES right over and he didn©t swing. Most hROM DATE. D E S 1RED. THE GOING SOFT FOR CERTAIN men supposed that the server would waste the next ball, but he didn©t. It, too, TEAMS THIS SPRING flashed over the pan. Sheckard was de •• THIS COUPON WITH 4 CTS. ceived into letting it go without a swing. * He was out without an offer, leaving Mc Sent to SPORTING LIFE, Philadelphia, entitles New Yorks and Cincies Strike lntire panting on third base. Lurid Lou the Sender to One Series (12) of Picture Cards V Richie, who had been coaching at third Snaps Race Robbed of Much base, was so discomfited by Sheck©s sleep of Base Ball Players, as described below: that he put the crowd onto the veteran Interest By Cardinal and Philly by walking to the bench, shoving out both <> Send to.. hands, as much to say "Jim, why didn©t ! Demoralization General News* you just meet it?" "Didn©t I tell you Street Address....-..... .................................................... there was the place to shove in a left- handed pitcher?" The writer heard thi Town..-..-.........-...........................................!................ State. BY A. ». CHATTY. quip from a dozen different wise ones a Pittsburgh, Pa., May 10.