The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-03-13
Crap,, Stand and Field.

A baseball lover in Brooklyn here ex-
presses anxitty lest s. weil-known abuse
connected with tho diamond may not
have been adequately dealt With at the
recent National League meeting az st.
LOUIS:
10 tlSs Editor Of the Sun: sir,-I am
great lover OF tho national game and have
taken a great deal Of interest IN the
proceedings OF tho convention at St
Louis. particularly that portion looking to
the elimination OF rowdyism from the
game SO far az the action OF the man.
ayers In that respect goes | think they
have done well. but there is an almost
equally Objectionable feature that seems
TO nave been but lightly touched upon,
and that is the rowdyism in the grand
stand.
Fortunately owing TO the distance
from the audienct, much OF the offensive
language heretofore too frequently used
by the players has not reached their ears.
Not so in the Gaze OF the individual who
pays his fifty cents apparently for the
sole purpose of stationing himself con-
spicuOusly in the audience, and, with STEM
torian voice, greatly augmented by the
aid OF a megaphone shouts over the mead
and into the ears OF his fellow auui'o-5
such refined pleasantr1cS as Itot-en
why don't you give 'em tho game
Take him outn How much Old they pay
you?' Robert Robber! and more Of the
same sort only more offensive, KEEP. up
with an absolute disregard Of the pres
cnce OF ladies' or the annoyance they
cause 20 the lovers Of the game.
Il witnessed many games at Eastern
Park last season, tho pleasure OF which
was wholly destroyed by those mega
phone ncnds, usually accompanied by
number Of callow Youths whose sole am
b.tion seemed TO be to initiate their cid
ers in making themselves as great nnls-
ance as possible, and Il not inirequenuy
hapnened that rOwdyism on the heid was
suggested and encouraged by these
rowdles In the grand stand.
I'm n theatre or any public hall such
obiecfiona bic characters would not be toll
Grated for a moment Why should they
he in an audience that pays TO witness
n came of ball? The MANAGERS have ne
only half way In their commendaOie
work / shall be glad TO see them carry
II to its conclusion. H. W. W
brooklyn. March A.
Rodyism has hourished in the grand
stand certainly; yet tho League men TOOK
the proper means OF suppressins IL Dy
suppreseing rowdyism on the field. on the
vrli-known principle that passions anil
mating the leaders Of a mob soon come to
possess tho entire body. the players spirit
OF rebellion against the umpire's author
ity caught the spectators, and the benches
became echoes OF the playground. WIN
rowdyism squelched there, however Win
the umplres authority again recognized
as absolute and his decisions as undeoai-
able, the habit OF criticisins him viii dc
out among the oniookors so comp.c',iy
that the few disturbcrs Of the peace VINO
IAN TO learn that baseball is again 10 be
p well-mannered sport Will be easy marks
for the police ana in short while or
der in the grand stand viii be as perfect
as 10 is on the field.
An American crowd IS by nature tho
fairost-minded crowd in the world. Shch
parts Of IL as assemble about the BAN
grounds are bound TO come to their senses
when The cause Of their recent perversion
has been removed. When the axe IS laid
at the root the leaves wither ana iho
branches fail-New York Sun.