The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1908-03-29
SPORTS As ACURB ON TEMPER
ATHLETIC FIELD BEST PLACE IN
WORLD, SAYS DAVE FULTZ.
Fellow Baseball Players showed More ne
gard for His Religious Views Thsn
spectatOrS-Hard Luck Batting Streak
severest Test OF . Mans seIfsCOntrOl.

severest Test OF . Mans ~seIfsCOntrOl.
"The athletic feld,' says David Fulzj
former star football and baseball player
at Brown University, former professional
baseball player and now practising law IN
this city, lis the best place in the world for
a man 10 learn TO discipline himself Mr..
Fultz believes in sports as much for the
mental and moral benefit to be had from
them as for the physical benefits. While
actively engaged In sports Fultz was .
capable and versatile athlete, and being
Of a religious turn Of mind he has been In
a good position to study the effect Of sports
on morals and Of morals on sports.
Il have always commended, Fultz con-
tinued, shat athletic competitions, from
the very fact that they put It up to a man
not to lose control Of himself, make the
most effective source Of discipline for him.
/ know that when fret began to take partin
college sports | had a good deal OF a temper
and that II sometimes got the better OF mo.
1t did not take me long, however, to learn
that that wouldn't do II I was TO get along
with and be respected by my associates
and II | was to succeed on the athletic
field. Unless one is to be a mucker In
sports he must learn to control his temper
and his feelings, aud that is one good moral
effect that sports have.
Il don't know just when | actually took up
| Christianity. At no particular time. With
me it was a gradual development, and l
did not have the right to call myself q
Christian until | was half way through
my professional baseball career. My ex-
perience In sports had a great effect on me
personally so far as my moral welfare
was concerned, but had no effect on my
spiritual nature"
Speaking Of his experiences in profes-
| sional baseball, Fultz said he never en-
countered any real a~ntipathy to his reHgi.
Gus views from his associates Of the ball
field. There might be a little fun making,
but in an inofensive way. The patrons
Of the game. however. we're not always 20
considerate. He told Of how in Western
cities somebody in the crowd would yeI at
him to know whether he had his Bible with
him or whether he had been TO Sunday
school.
Il have been abused in newspapers for
not playing Sunday ball observed Fultz,
but I didn't mind anything they said until
one day last summer when | had my nose
broken in a game at Yonkers. A st. Louis
paper cam out with the statement that
Dave Fultz while playing with a Y. NJ. G. A.
team last Sunday had his nose broken l
never played a game Of Sunday baseball
in my life,
Christians in professional basebauf
| There are a number Of Christians among
| the players, | understand, though | haven't
happened to come in contact with them.
/ do know, however, that there are plenty
Of straightforward fellows. Some are
straightforward because they realize that
they must keep straight if they are TO get
along, while others are square becauseit
their nature to be so. The morale OF the
profession Is much better than 1t used TO be,
there is nc doubt about that. / imagine
the moral tone Of the players Is better. Ball
players are a happy 60 lucky set and not
prone to dwell long on serious things, but
as a class they are a cleaner lot OF men thar
thev used to be.
WAS | ever put out Of a ball game for
kicking? Once. | was with the New York
Americans at the time and we we're playing
in Cleveland. Kilfoyle Of the Cleveland
club sent a statement Of the Occurrences 10
Ban johnson, telling Of the ugly language
| used to the umpire. It was such talk
as | never was guilty Of using. and the next
time we we're in Cleveland ! asked MI.
Kilfoyle IL he had heard ne use such Ian"
guage. He acknowledged that he hadn't
and had taken the groundkeeper's word
for il. Whatever I said to the umpire. |
am quite sure it was neither profane nor
offensive.
"A mans temper, il he has one, Is apt
to get the better Of him many times In
sports, but after It is over there is something
in him that compels him to realize that he
made a sight Of himself. In minimizing
the tendency 10 break loose athletics are q
\ fine remedy. You see lots Of men In base
ball kick and kick end use bad language.
and in 90 far as the decision that made
them kick is concerned they may have the
right on their side; but whether they have
or not is a small matter, The great thing
to be learned from such instances is to keep
yourself under control and TO be able 10
see the occurrence from the other mans
point OF view as we'll as your own
Why is it, Mr.. Fultz was asked, that
there are college players who will make
silly kicks and do unsportsmanhke things
to opposing players when all their associa-
tions are against hat sort Of thing, and Cd
the ball field they would consider such
sThe youth Of the college player probably
has a good deal to do with H. was the
! nswer He hasn't learned to control
himself in moments OF excitement, par
ticularly in the one or two big games that
his team plays. There is apt 70 he greater
feeling and excitement in these games
than any game in which the professional
takes part' for with the professional every
game is pretty much alike. For all that,
some tough customers do get into college
baseball once in a while.
Whatsport do you think puts the greatest
test on self-restraint?'
Fultz thought q while in answer 10 this
question and said baseball. Then he thought
a while longer and said football. 'Its
nearly a toss up" he said. While one
might think there is more OF a strain in
baseball, yet the situation OF the opponents
in football is such that a man has more OPP
%portunity 70 say things TO a rival, even
though in football the men are working
more as a unit and there isn't the Individual
conspicuousness OF baseball. There are
more tense situations in baseball than in
football, and little things are more likely TO
turn the tide against you.
But in either baseball or football a man
can get just what he il looking for. II 10
wants TO learn the wholesome lessons that
are plain before him he can do so; II he