Show r i t 1 fir C I FRANK K BAKER BAKER- I i For seve several al days this department has been wo wondering dering t why Federation baseball teams have been playing all summer We have been given to u understand that theu the u ultimate desire of each club is IS to win WIn the city championship championship championship cham cham- p yet ct virtually all of the seasons season's seasons results will be beit it R scrapped when drawings are made for the city round r r- robin next month h The Federation started the season with ten teams Midvale j finally disbanded leaving only nine clubs Now Federation officials dials daIs propose to carry out a championship round robin that will take j take care of eight out of the nine teams In other word words all that has been accomplished by three threet I fi t months months' play is the elimination of one team Then the round robin tobin i is supposed to eliminate seven more in eight days The Federation has tentatively planned to enter the winner and ind up runner up from each of its four leagues If one team wins mot than one berth in the round robin under these plans th the Federation will invite an outstanding club from the Independent league to round out an team eight-team bracket from the city tourney There is nothing new in the idea of putting second placers ers in the city meet Federation officials have bave done it for several years in hi an attempt to enlarge the round robin They have ha explained that the larger field increases interest Naturally Naturally Nat Nat- it means more games But there is is no getting etting away from the fact that the i plan in in effect wipes the slate clean after teams have been battling all summer so that they may start anew Second place lace clubs in the major leagues never fight it out in the he worlds world's series yet up runners-up arc given the same chance at the Salt Lake City championship as the team that won wonIA I I IA Ji league title Baseball men have never been in in unanimous unanimous accord with the local policy of letting second place teams compete com com- pete for the championship They have tolerated the idea under Bunder the guise that it makes a larger and more interesting interest- interest fing ing tournament The larger field of course is obvious I question the belief that the second-place second clubs add interest interest- and drawing draving power to the event For one I believe the public will pay more more genuine attention to the round robin if the Federation took its various league winners winners winners-be bo they two three or four fourt t clubs and clubs and sent them out to play each other in a deciding series Such a plan would add more interest to regular league games game Instead of being content content to qualify quality for the thc r round und robin by squeezing into second place every team would be Ii fighting for first place just as major league clubs do or college college college col col- col- col lege basketball teams must hero here in the western division to qu qualify 1 yin in the theR R. R M. M C C. C title the series Each game all season long would mean a little more than it does today when players know they can get into the city meet on a second-class second ticket instead of needing first-class first r r. passage Champions only would also facilitate the round robin operation Po These twilight league clubs with limited 1 pitching staffs have complained about the excessive playing play- play f ing jug in the past There have been instances of them quitting quitting quitting quit- quit I ting in the midst of the grind They y feel their clubs would be in better condition to put on a good exhibition Yf f. f they were not wearied b by r so many games The Federation would be wise to invite the two Inde- Inde i pendent league champions into the round robin The Independents Independents Inde Inde- a are e playing an improved brand of ball They have havea I a fine follow following ing of enthusiastic boosters Combined with the J I Federation champions they could put on a far better brand fl I of baseball entertainment baseball entertainment than the F Federation will get out of i. i I its collection of winners and second And they'd probably draw bigger crowds L |