The Washington herald., 1907-07-28
FAN is A PRIZE PROBLEM
New York Rooters Want McGraW
on Lines Again.
After Driving Giants Manager to
the Bench Followers of the Club
Insist that He Reappear.

New York, July 27.-Great questions,
such as the war with Japan and the good
things in the second race at Brighton,
confront the nation daily, but the one
enigma yet left open TO solution is the in
consistency Of the genus fan.
Since baseball first became a national
problem the mind Of the thing called
fan" has been as uncertain as the taste
OF spring cantalOupes. and If you've ever
made o tack along Columbus avenue be-
fore breakfast looking for good one yoc
have grasped the full meaning Of these
fatal words
Not more than a year ago an awful
noise was flushed around these parts, the
kernel OF which was a protest against the
'rowdy" tactics Of one John J. McGraw.
According TO the fans who set the styles
in morals, the Giant manager was on the
lines toe much and he talked too spicily.
The team made too many kicks. They
called a spade a spade and not a shovel
1t was simply awful. 1t was shocking.
Il, As long as the flag was still winking at
them from the pole they stood for IT,
however, bur the minute the flag went
down the noise came up with a roar like
T. Sharkey ordering wine.
Down with the rowdies," yelled the
fans. Many newspapers took up the ehirp
and it spread throughout the land. Every
where We heard that the ravenous Giants
lost many games by making too much of
fight and sticking out for their rights.
For days the papers. We're filed with let
ters from fans making a protest.
Now these faithful and public-spirited
fans are urging the Giants to show more
spirit. One writerWery ably says: Nc
Graw ought to get on the coaching lines.
The team appears 10 be laying down.
They do not make enough noise, and it
looks Ike they are no longer aggressive" d"
Can you beat that?
From one end Of the grand stand to
the other. the fans are demanding that
McGraw again go on the coaching lines
and exhibit q spirit of agEressiNencss.
They are altogether too quiet" as am
other fan suggests. The fan. is taking a
back tack.
Having had a broadside leveled at him
from the papers throughout the country
ana the fans throughout the stands. the
New York manager tried 10 give them
what they wanted. The New York club
has not made "a serious protest at de-
cisio2 this season and they viii almost
eat out Of your hand. McGTaw has not
been on the coaching lines. He has been
directing the movements OF his team from
the bench.
MCGTaw has tried TO please the public,
and now the said public wants a little
more action for its jingle. How is that
for consistency
II the average New York fan should get
drowned be. would loat against the tide.
COntrarlness is his slogan.
When McGraw gets on the coaching
lines he is called q rowdy. When he
sticks to the bench ne is called a dead
one.
Some weeks ago Hughey Jennings was
criticised in Detroit Tor what they termed
''rowdy' bail playing. Hughey very
neatly replied 10 this that the people out
there had never seen aggressive baseball,
and when they did they took it for rowdi-
ness. That hits the nail pretty nearly on
the head.
Fans do not seem to recognize the diff
ference between aggressive ball playing
and rOWdiuess.
They are begging for McGraw on the
lines again just the same. and letters
Of advice are coming in by the score.
II you were McGraw, what would you
do?