Bye, Bye Bravely

Where are the Braves of yesteryear? Boston grieves, Boston is staggered, Boston's pride is hurt. And Boston is sore.

As usual, the guilty refuse to accept the blame. Do the good citizens sign and say, "Ah, well, we didn't support the team and new it's gone?" Perish to thought! Rather, they mutter about betrayal and curse Lou Perini for a hypocrite who pretended to be civic minded but cared only for the folding green.

In truth, of course, there is no guilt. It borders on paranoia to liken Perini to Benedict Arnold because he didn't want to lose another half million dollars this year--and the next, most likely, and the year after that. It makes no more sense to slander the populace for failing to flock to watch a loser.

Sure, the Giants, Dodgers, Cubs, and Pirates have had good attendance despite losing seasons in the record past. But that hardly gives the inhabitants of New York, Brooklyn, Chicago, and Pittsburgh the right to crow about civic virtue and other such fairy tales.

The day has not yet come, thank. God, when sensible people judge a town by the attendance figures of a second division ball club, or whether it has one or two.

Fifty years have passed, and times have changed. Boston is back down and Milwaukee is back up to one major league team. Boston has a right to be sorry, Milwaukee has a right to be pleased. But prestige? Let's grow up a little, folks.

As for the Boston sports writers, some of them are going to lose their jobs. You can hardly blame them for flying into a rage.