Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-09-10
THEIR FUNNY TRICKS
Something About tho Base Ball
"ROOler" and His Slang.
LANGUAGE OF TIE CRANK
.coo,ou, Hut unipteIiieibisv Vocabulary -
foundations Of Their .Mys-
tic Sayings.

tic sayings
.poor lunatlcs. It's so sad TO see peopie
-, have lost their senses--so pitifni ana
..t,r What could have caused
..,, minds 90 crumble nway? They
- ,,,se persons who were sane once
,,,t there is no hope for them now an
,rs a pity. rs pity"
-rt,s ouoth the man in the balloon
40 Individual. who, unlike the label on
,no hottie. was strictly in it. He was
..,,,s, bcaycn-wa-d through tho clouds
--.,n ether. and "a the great airship
V,.r,,1 onward and upward, he cast
- through yawning space, down TO
49,. o,rtb below. Stretched out like
nan he saw the smiling face or
.tor carth-the meandering rivers, the
Inc. forests and the hazy city, But
those things attracted not the eye OF the
osr.l navigator for his glance fell on
.,othcr sight. lie saw great green
IN with drab center The whole was
ID IN and near the fence sat mighty
urlug Of people
ro the little drab section were nine hu-
49,, beings. dressed in bright colored
81
60. and then begin 10 scamper around
I % possessed Of devils. The balloonist
--.ry.lle! greatly. Once ne saw one OF tie
.-.fry uniformed blpeds pick up a stick
al while the man opposite him tried TO
,..-te a cork-screw. the mortal with the
s-., made tremendous swipe at the
.t,-.srhcre The air beneath the aero
,,.t tremblcd. for II felt the force OF
g.. tllw And then the act was re-
tre
distant roar floated heavenward and
ps man in the balloon saw something
coming directly towards him. 1t was
,I... .erhtre and as he leaned over the
,-...- Dee read the words "Spaulding."
fl.r.~ higher. higher came the sphere,
,.f tron revolving with the rapidty OF
locomotive wheels. II plunged down.
v,.- The human beings on the drab
..t below sctmpered In every direction.
.r. pen near tho fence surged like
"a to-sr,ut while "A runner in the meadow
.r...4 the mystic missive. And then
r.-, was wall and silence once more
t .,er The green square.
,..,' fhe aeronaut saw man run madly
towards a haE and then throw himself
e.. d. shore scampcring followed ana an
t.".llll in citizens clothes galoped
,..I r1tarult and beckoned him In.
-.-.l- bowls. walls. whoops yels and
f...rt4t1us followed; IN ecrowd plunged
DILL. a. mountain torrent into the drab
.-. a.I trsmped down the citizen--tore
b.. .t from limb and revellcd in hts
t.I thsn the bslloonist luoth TO his
l.-r s.|t Poor lunatics, what a pity,
t... L..w not what they do
U.- o.. aorunaut had the cart before
oil. t.f-.. for ne was the lunatic. and
o. .t..t g. De- pitei lie did not know
r.t pa. looked down 12on baseball
-.-. trat what he saw. represented for
Gill. fr.. being ut least. the very life and
..r .t those mortals below; that all
r..- ...-. slrrows hopes. fears, and pas
,... u.r. conferred I'm that drab spot. He
Dr.. never rooted and the beecherles
l. tr-vn him not; therefore he labored
H t. darkness Of ignorance and was
Truly tl he piucd.
s.. r.re are others like him-men
rl. pronounce the baseball enthusiast
. I. au iI.1t-men who say that the
--.-- I- -rrstiCss. lille pastime and men
r.. condemn the game without knowing
H. u.. worth.
~..r l1 not know that on the bleach
sr.- OBJ. merchant forgets the note that
3. banging Ger his head; that the lover
f-.... faa girl who has bluffed him;
r.. ha husband shivers not at the
tt uf his mother-in-law, end that
r....-r casts of his judicial digntty-tn
H.rl that the spectators at the great
contests 1r- ohlivous Of all save the
..-. They 90 not know what IL Is 20
..... 6, howl. o. yell, To moan and 10
lu. I.trals with excitement; neither
...y know the delights OF talking base
f ana az chewing and diSesting the
las ru,rs,ls Of slang tina tsrs so eS-
Genital 10 the descriptions and discus
u the sport.
f 8, or this slang-if 1t deserves so
.-.. uImc-that / wish 10 speak.
4.... IS something exceedingly humorous
H. ridiculous about It. for It is born Of
.-I s.rrows which the cranks ex-
i.-..... IL represents every passion
l.I nature. pure "cussednoss." satire.
Ur-u. Indignation. distress. ridicule dis
gust. contempt and happiness. And then
'.re age the pet names for the players
every blessed one OF them has pseu-
lo.m aha the little py-words to pass
.H-y 4.lI moments
T'" "r19ters." when In a sarcastic
o. b. ais simply terrible. Let US look at
tae their expressions in this line.
''.-. Chinee. Chinee," they bawl
..t when one OF the teams begins TO
laF badly and makes ineXcusable errors.
Ir. % shame. it's a shame" they shrek
4" --r4st or possibly. 70 vary the ex-
preston they yell ut amt right"
l,ur interpreted signifies that one
;.. d. 4rIbbiug the other numerically.
..- fu1i naturcd "rooter" grunts as
That's the little boy-good eye.
= eye" you're in the game" And
t-a es tho runner pixies 1t to second the
-sutIted coachers yen. slide,
..aa. s.le." or Hold your base" To
t-F things up they bawl; play the
t ana II things 70 quickly they muir
'.' bot etun." They encourage the
'-,a by shrieking Zine her out" or
..e 'he trademark"
Ball. ly the way, is designated by
N ana divers Names While in
fiom the pitchers hands it is
....l.y described IA the "herky-jer-
Vow there isn't soul on
rf. Who knows what the expression
ftt-I-rSy' means. but all the same
n. phrase IS a most expressive one. psf
rt Observation-Disclosures oice.
e tAe expression here and II has
't.. with the cranks from the start.
aly speaking, and among the
Ian reporters. the ball Is known IS
.. leather the yarn" the "hOrse-hide"
e t'- sphere" To tell the truth. II
i.- ncw appelatlon now FOR all OF
terms have become whiskered chest
I'll.
u.'.1 times the pitcher simply pitched
o. '" Dc "twirls." "hcavcs the leather
ue horsehlde." throws ziezags"
twists the yarn" II his work IS
hc IS Varousy designated as a
phenomenon" a wizard"
tf'... and prodigy" while the
Who strikes IN vain at the ball.
ue ether" whacks the ethereal"
empty nothingness." fans the
..-i,' cuts the zephyTs," or
at vacancy" II he hits the
B. does not run but 'sprints" TO
.. or pixies II 10 the bag Should
hE be sharp he has 10 'get Il
.. pg hump himself"
contentment Is expressed by
i.r5 when they murmur "Gooble,
f"ch'e." or well. well we'll"
.t'eball crank is big-hearted as long
...its 30 an right with the home team.
ug.r playing is the least bit de-
. Ae becomes mOrOse and blood
". Get Il balloon" shrleks the
''. 20 the unfortunate who strikes
"h.e the words, Give him q water