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Show lill!fPIPHi -PAS fi -mUliiuirAL DAM. i AKK talAULldHtiJ Vlewi&g the future of baseball from the developments and progress which havo marked its past It Is not b any means tho lemotest possibility that a city may become sufficiently awake to tho value of the game from many standpoints as to establish a municipal munici-pal ball park. An illustration of what one city in California Marysvillo, to be explicit thinks of baseball from an 1 advertising standpoint, Is shown in the following editorial, entitled "Socialism "So-cialism and Base Ball," from the current cur-rent issue of tho Sporting Nows I "Tho fact that it is the training spot of a major league ball teem or even of a team in the greater minors brings a line of advertising to a town that it would be Impossible to secure se-cure in any other way, and that live cities recognize it is eidenced by the keen competition they make fof selection. se-lection. Recently the Sacrumento club of tho Pacific Coast league sought a suitable training camp. Several ic-sorts ic-sorts were bidders and the situation at one of them was considered idea.' in everything but that the totfn Marys-ville Marys-ville had no ball park. The city authorities au-thorities were equal to the occasion they showed themselves of real "radical" "rad-ical" western stuff they decided to build a municipal ball park. If there was any criticism offered at this departure de-parture 'In municipal enterprises they answered It by saying it was a good business proposition, that a ball park would prove a paying Investment through rentals to bo collected, a well as furnish opportunities for advertising ad-vertising the town by 'securing a league club to train there "The park will be well equipped and built with the idea of permanency Already the possibilities of 'municipal base ball" aro being discussed. Who knows, says a California writer, in a spirit half serious, that It mav not come to pass that Marysvllle shall have a league team run by the municipality muni-cipality And what possibilities for tho political candidate, how could they beat a ma3'or who had given tho town a pennant winning team? Tho time may come when ever) office seeker's plntform shall contain a promise to "got results" on the ball diamond as woll as In the police department de-partment or in the cltr hall. "Perhaps the time may come, too, when rich men, dying and seeking to leave their wealth for tho benefit of the public, will recognize that ball parks and ball clubs aro just as much American institutions as churches, colleges and hospitals, and money may bo devised to build grand stands and lay out diamonds, with funds 3et aside to maintain them We may yet havo tho endowed ball yard before "wo have tho endowed theater In America. oo ' |