The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-09-02

N3A s ssS Il, s ::;'' inc, a. ( !
| y Y1A ~ viduals who may
@ !: !: ::::.: !. !:
gaines. and they
| talk baseball during LEISURE LcurS. They
| are, however. not what may be called
| genuine cranks or 'rOoters. The alt
| around crank really cares for little else
| but a game Of bail. lie takes little or no
| interest in the money market, the silver
question, the tariff bill. the political out
look. or any o. those great topics which
from time 10 time turn men brains N
thinking channels. tie would miss good
dinner, an exciting hoi>e-race. set-to,
or any OF the most tempting attractions
TO get TO the ball game ere the nrst IN
ming Is well under way. You see MIN rush
wildly into cafe about O'Clock IN ne
afternoon, cl3mOr for a ticket aS thOIBn
his life depended upon II. and when next
you greet MIN ne Is sitting near the front
Of the car. or keeping the mOtOrman COM
pany. or even hanging on ne side,o1r
en- route 10 the ball park. His face 10
wreathed IN smiles. ana ne scrapes up an
acquaintance with any FELLOW on tho
car JUS: 10 talk Il little baseball before
reaching the park.
When he leaps from the car he IS
through the gale in a fash. The next
moment he is scramblng around for the
scOre-card boy. After tnis has been at
tended 70. he makes a break Tor 4 de-
sirabe seat In the grand-stand. or hiGh
perch on the beachery whence nothing
can Obstruct the view. lie wants to see
IL an.
Finally Re is settled. AMI tries 20
remain content with the preliminary prac-
tice-work OF the team until the game
proper commences. When a member OF
the home team raps a lively single or a
t"o-bagger then you hear from MIN.
Heretofore he has been quiet bril-
liant play OF the part Of one or the Vlsi-
him to suffer agony he remains per
fectly silent and his heart beats with
remarkable rapLlity. All IS expectation.
HE IL THRILLED.
When the home team manufactures
enough runs to put them ahead or me
visitors, why, then the typical crank IS
thrilled He forgets that lie Is not the
only man in the grand stand. and the
fact that he once turned green with rage
at a woman with tower-lke hat that
Obstructed the View az the theatre has
escaped him. II never occurs 70 MIN that
any one else on the stand cares to see the
game and he rises up throws his arms
in half dozen directions, and caves
no speculation possible as To whether his
voice IS strong one. 10! he IS happy
and his heart bubbles forth.
But this TYPICAL crank was grsdu ia
play the game with any degree OF success
requires not only practice, and quick;
sharp decisions, but deal OF go9d SOUND
head-wOrk properly utilized; lie l. sl1ht-
~ interested, but wonders how IL IL thet
his neighbor. who is typical crank gan
almost lose his head OF times. II has
not occurred 10 him that his nelshDor
reached that point only by being "a con-
slant spectator and student at the games;
He takes In another game. and sun
another, until he hnds that while balanc-
ing up his accounts during the afternoon
he IS surprised 70 catch himself wondering
whether the Crows defeated the Farmers,
and so on. He actually feels disappointed
that he didn't leave the office and 20 out
to see the game. "TU 50 tomorrow. sure
as fate" he mu.murs to himself, and an
hour later he snunters out on the street
only 70 hear Tom Jones or Peter Brown
discussing the features Of the game. he
self because he didn't see Reddy Foster
rap that home run az the critical moment.
well. III post up my books early to-
morrow" he says % himself. and get
out 10 see the fun.
HIS patriotism AROUSED.
That night as he saunters into cafe
or lounges about corner by way Of pass
ing away an hour or so, he listens with
renewed interest 70 long ana heateI
discussion as to whether Tate Is the best
captain the home team could have Sc
cured. and when he takes car for his
home a little later four or five well-deyel-
oped cranks are having an animated
argument about the prospects OF the home
brought out during the discussion that
Petersburg. Norfolk. and some of the
other towns have entered into com6lna-
ton Of some sort TO beat Richmond. This
arouses his patriotism, and II occurs 10
him that he must by all means be on
hand the next day 10 see that there Is
no monkey business going on.
Sure enough when the umpire calls the
game the next day this half-develOped
crank occupies a conspicuous seat in the
grand stand. He sits next TO the lnde-
pendent order of Rioters whO say: 1T
a shame" three times. and somehow he
begins to catch the mania. Richmond
wins the game, and when he goes back
to the city that night be doesn near
street corner but baseball. The mania
IS beginning 20 get firm grip upon nm.
He cannot exactly understand why he
can complete his work an hour or 50 ear
lier every afternoon. But he gets through
with il some way or other and for four
or five games IN succession he finds him
self at the bah park. Possibly ne fingers
around the reporters stand a while, and
learns how 20 mark down the hits, and
errors. Then he picks up The Times the
next morning. and reads fun reports OF
the various contests and that hlg ~ an ',,
the score by innings from the out-ot-toWn
games, greets his eye.
THg MANIA DEVELOPED.
BY this time the mania IS pretty well
developed. There is little hope Tor MIN.
Half a dozen more games Will settle the !
matter. There are only few rooters |
al the ball park who take more genuine |
Interest in the games. When the home
team loses he ism III Tor |
ANYTHING whatever FOR twerly- |
four hours to come. lie lies |
awake nearly all night wondering why |
Kahn didn't line out a three-bagBer Wh~n |
Foster Gilman. and Keenan, occupied |
the bases Finally he drops of To sleep |
about A. NJ. and has visions Of great |
catches. and red-hot ;wo. base
hits by Gettinger. Mccain. and Others.
A week later he IS a wel-deyelOncd: |
going crank, with That kini 81 |
mania which proves so CONTAGIOUS 10 |
every man, woman. and child. VINO ven I
lures 10 the ball-park with any degree |
II regularity. And now you have "A typ |
,al ball crank, who idollzes the members |
~ the home team when they play bal J
properly, regards them with a kind or |
spa smodic contempt when they make
/, dismal failure, and hates the members |
n the oppOsing team whenever they do
ANYTHING which looks little shadOwy.
There are some fifteen hundred cranks !
Ike this IN Richmond. They reached mat
point by slow and gradual development.
He is an expert H. his line Ills con
yersatfon seasons of baseball, ana ne
inds himself introducing baseball terms |
chen conversinie on business or social
on,cs The mani1 for the national game
ms become a second nature with him.
I you wish to interest him talk aoodt