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Show JOHNSON'S ACTION ROUSES YANK FANS BY WILLIAM HILLMAN. Universal Service Staff Correspondent. NEW YORK, July 31. A thick, all-pervading all-pervading gloom settled over the Yankee camp tonight when they learned that Carl Mays, purchased from the Red Sox, was indefinitely suspended by President Ban Johnson of the American league. Johnson's declaration that Hays's desertion de-sertion of the Red Sox on Julv 13 and refusal to play again constituted an offense of-fense that will not be tolerated in the American league, shattered the brilliant dream of a Yankee pennant. For if Mays is allowed to play and pitches as well for the Yankees as he did for the Red Sox last year, the New Yorkers can prepare to snare the world's series money. With Thormahlen, Shawkey and Qulnn, Mays would round out the most formidable for-midable pitching staff in the league, at a time when good pitching is at a premium. pre-mium. Ban Johnson's decision, incidentallv, gives an opportunity to review the Yankee-Red Sox deal. It's no use getting cynical, perhaps, and declaring that so-called so-called baseball morality has suffered by the swap, for Mays for $40,000 and some players. Remember, "to those that have will be given, and from those who have not will be taken away," or words to that effect. We've gotten so used to the sentiment wo have forgotten the quotation. quota-tion. Nor Is it of any use accusing the Yankees Yan-kees of trying to buy the pennant because be-cause they have the most monv. The White Sox, Detroit and Cleveland were after Mays as wed as the New York club. The answer simply is: Mays went to the highest bidder. From the very first day that the serpent bought Eve with an apple, money talked. The Yankee bankroll in this instance happened to be the most eloquent. This deal, however, is just another bit of evidence that organized baseball is nothing more than a business proposition. proposi-tion. Talk about sportsmanship is bunk when contenders for the jiennant, with plenty of money, can afford to buy stars to bolster up their chances. The fans of the different cities like to see their home teams win. In many cases they become frenzied partisans of the local teams and are ready to mob visiting players who upset the home team's chances. But the great majority of fans want to sco honest contests for the pennant. What can they be led to believe about individual series if they know that a team with plenty of money can buy the stars it needs to win? The other day Ban Johnson stated in an interview that he would urge the American league next winter to adopt Ieg:slation Hint would specifically pre-1 pre-1 vent the trading of stars to contenders in the course of the season. That legislation legis-lation is badly needed to keep baseball from falling into ill repute. Unless Ban Johnson can make good his promise, organized or-ganized baseball will come upon cold days. |