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Show BASEBALL An Editorial The Utah Apex Baseball team of the Copper League at a meeting meet-ing held Monday "evening in Salt Lake City, decided to re-enter the league and continue as a member of the league until the present season ends, August 26. . This meeting came as the result of an ultimatum issued Friday morning of last week by. Mr. Joe A. Norden, superintendent of the mine, in which he dismissed eight members of the Utah-Apex baseball base-ball team for alleged violation of the Copper League rules and bylaws, by-laws, sending the resignation of the Utah-Apex team from the Copper Cop-per League to the other three members of the organization. The fans of this section will be glad to learn of the Utah-Apex baseball team again becoming members of the Copper League, but before dwelling upon the subject of reinstatement, it might be well to let our minds carry us back to Friday morning of last week. On that eventful day, as has been said, Mr. Joe Norden dismissed dis-missed eight members of the Utah-Apex baseball team and withdrew with-drew from the Copper League. On the face, it looked as though the punishment for violating the rules of the league was a trifle severe, but the truth of the matter is that it was the only thing to do under the existing circumstances. The team violated the rules, and as such were playing ineligible baseball, which in a nutshell means that every game played by the Utah-Apex was forfeit, and as such was without value, either to the team or to the company it represented. repre-sented. The team as it stood before Mr. Norden issued' his decree was considered by many to be the best team in the state, with the possible pos-sible exception of the Salt Lake Bees of the Coast League. It must have been an ordeal for Mr. Norden to pass out the information wrecking this wonderful array of baseball talent, knowing his every breath told of the wonderful stimulant the Athletic Department of the Mine had been toward making the mine workers one great family, fam-ily, and yet Mr. Norden did what he thought was right, irrespective of the outcome. Did Mr. Norden do right? Personally we think he did, because if there were violations of the rules the team was ineligible, and as such of little use either to the company or to the community. It is true that the stringent measure taken left many followers of the team with lumps in their throats, and yet it is safe to say that none suffered more than did Mr. Norden. It is one thing to have a championship team, and quite another to have a team that is violating the rules, and Mr. Norden chose the alternative of not having a team at all. Why have a team whose victories do not count? Thus did the once powerful Utah-Apex baseball team of the Copper League sail into oblivion, and perhaps never will a semi-pro team reach the height attained by this great team, but for those of you who still feel that Mr. Norden was too hasty, let us think twice. Think first of what it means to the Utah-Apex Mining Company to play the game open and above board, to play it fair and abide by all league rulings ; and second, what difference would it make whether the violations were discovered now or at the end of the season? Yes, it must be admitted that Mr. Norden did the right thing, that he showed himself conscientious to the extent j(Ma. honor, and a good name are more to be cherished than having a championship team that made itself ineligible through violation of the rules. Now for the new team that will represent the Utah Apex for the rest of the season. Of the old team that won its way into the hearts of hundreds of fans, several remain to form the nucleus for the newly organized club. Anderson, catcher; Gibbs, outfielder; McBride, outfielder ; Parry, pitcher ; Larsen and Christopher, inf ield-ers, ield-ers, are six who played at different times with the old team. Then there is "Rags" Ingersol, Adolph Chiara and Martin who can be called into service, thus giving the company at least enough men to play their scheduled games until more material can be pressed into service, which is the present plan according to reports. True, the new team will .not be fast enough to do an awful lot of damage at present, but in the event they do win a game or two the Utah-Apex will know that they have won with a team that was elegible, with a team that did not violate the rules of the Copper league. |