JEWISH DEGRADATION OF AMERICAN BASEBALL 61
and promoter of a crooked prize fight in their midst. It was a sad shock to the dignity of "the cleanest sport."
What could they do about it? Nothing. Frazee had bought and paid for what he held.
Baseball was about as much of a sport to Frazee as selling tickets to a merry-go-round would be. He wanted to put his team across as if they were May Watson's girly girly burlesquers. Baseball was to be "promoted" as Jewish managers promote Coney Island.
The American League owners rebelled, but let them rebel ! What could they do about it ?
Frazee began his next inside work almost immediately. Ban Johnson was unalterably opposed to the Frazee idea of sport, and Frazee set out to "get" Johnson. A split occurred in the American League, with Frazee, Til Huston and Jake Ruppert of the New York Club, and Charles A. Comiskey and Grabiner, of the Chicago Club, on one side against Johnson, and the other American owners comprising the other party supporting Johnson.
Frazee got money out of Chicago the home of Lasker, Austrian, Keplogle and Grabiner to put through his Boston deal. A bank loaned him a quarter of a million dollars one of Frazee's friends was a director of the bank. Frazee's friend died and Frazee had difficulty with the bank about remaking the notes. He finally was enabled to pay |125,000. Frazee secured this money from the New York American Club by selling "Babe" Ruth. Thus the New York and the Boston clubs have become financially interwoven. Boston is referred to as "New York's farm" in baseball circles.
In the meantime, the fans of Boston feel toward Frazee as the fans of Chicago feel toward Grabiner. The "class" of Boston no longer flows through the gates. The attendance at Boston park is smaller than at any other time in the last 15 years.
Now, it is unlikely that Judge Landis could tackle that question. Has he power, or lacking power, has he daring enough to assume power to
