The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-07-07
EXPLAINING BASEBALL.
A Specialist treats the Curious Beha- yiOr of the Pitcher With
 DfDIOmacy.

If was a+ a professional baseball eame in Philadelphia. On the great tiered. half-moon benches 5000 people made so slight a showing that ohe heard their number with surprise.
 Only the bleachers were full: Tney' with their solid attenuation or coats and faces. looked like a dark blanket tbickIv polka dotted with dingy white.
 Tn in the second story of the grand stand where you pay 75 cents ana don care who knows it, sat rank and Iash, ion indicated by the presence here ana there of flowery hats. That the wear era of the hats were familiars or the nlace would have impressed even detective. for when stray ball not from the bat shot straight III ainoe sn tbem striking the boards with fear soma crash. not a shriek, not squeal' soorrad the fense silence that enwrap- ped the throng. Town on the floor below, in the very front row, and just beyond the screen behind the bat, sat a woman Who nao never seen a ball game before. Be- side her sat friend. , You pay only 50 cents in the lesser glorv- but you really see better than | from anywhere else, and you really feel that you are one of us. Flowery | hats count for nothing there. All distinctions sink unnoticed under a | happy haze Of ball.
 The woman had been curious to see the national game and the friend hao been obliging.
 But" he had asked, "win you nave f. college or professional? The diner- ence Is that college teams sometimes plav real ball, while professionals play it always"
 Now, don't try to explain things, saJd the woman virtuously as they set- tied into their places. T know what a nuisance they would be. Just watch the game and enjoy yourself, and Tel me look" lions like: They don't run very well bo tbey? What makes them fall down so often when they stop?" or why does he make such angry faces at thai man with the muzzle on his head?"
 Next her, on the other side from the friend, sat a red headed youth, alone 4, youth of the proletariat, liberal mind ed, gregarious. The fate that gave him that day no mate had been un- kind. He suffered for some one to talH to to share his emotions.
 The first time that the friend an. swered a query of the woman's witf q don't know this young man SUD- piled the facts from an evident spe' cialfst's depth of information. He diC 1t shyly knuckling his hat still fur ther back from his freckied brow shifting his cigarette hard aport anC with his eyes unswerving from the game.
 But he might never have spoken might never have existed. for all thu recognition the friend vouchsafed. Th' friend was no snob. but he considered that youth excessive in local color wheI one had a lady in charge.
 Again and again 1t happened. A les' genial one would have congealed. Bu the read headed one 700 truly abound ed in good fellowship easily to believe in an intention to rebuff.
 Nevertheless. he felt certain some thing, and his remarks grew rarer an( more rare. The woman was sorry bu this was the friends party, and he knev best
 The game progressed. Innings wax ed and waned Then came a momen when the visiting pitcher. given here tofore to pyrotechnlc sweep and we inaitv in his play. stood suddenly mo