The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1909-12-30
FUNNY
FREAKS Oh
RANDOM.

4 4
| FREAKS on IL opens fire about
fANDoN- an hour before the
teams take the
field and is usually folded away into
desuetude 20 minutes or SO after the
game Is over. In the time that inter
venes, however. IL is as busy as bee
hive. \ short. bright-eyed little man
Las charge OF its activities. And he
knows more about the inner cravings
of a baseball bug than any man In de-
troit. Charles y. Fridley is his name.
though IL Is doubtful IL more than one
per cent OF the fans who consume his
popcorn, peanuts and other edibles. 10
lsay nothing OF his lemonade and pop.
have ever heard IL or ever given his
long and careful preparation for their
comfort, so much as a passing thought.
Winters MIR. Fridley puts in as an
important adjunct OF the box Office of
one OF the local theaters. but he is
always willing 10 talk baseball and Is
even now looking forward TO an active
season with the hot dogs and the cold
drinks
Il often wonder" said Mr. Fridley
lreminiscently the other day. IF there
was ever a bunch OF baseball fans like
| those In Detroit There Is only one
| time when they're satisfied with their
ball club and that Is when they're be-
hind but climbing toward the front.
The days when the club is down
and losing are bad ones down In my
little grotto. IL the weather Is cool
it's all the worse. II the team is los
| ing the bugs don't feel like eating or
drinking Now and then one or the
! boys sells a sack OF peanuts To some
| fellow who's out at the game with his
girl and is trying To show her a good
time. Between innings n couple or
fellows will drift down and discuss a
frankfurter The team Is behind and
it's a rotten game and-mind you
the score may be close and the field
ing fast and errorless, at that.
ITS almost as bad when the Tigers
are up on top and going away. Why
che of the poorest series | had last
year was the one with ST. Louis IN
June. That was the time Hughie and
his bunch copied eight games in seven
days without losing one. and they were !
away in the lead at the time. The
weather was fine. too, but nobody |
cared to buy. They couldn't get en-
thusiastic TO save their lives.
Where | did business was along In
August when the Athletics dropped IN. |
They were leading the league and De
troit was third The Tigers grabbed /
three, straight games. got their lead
back and the weather was hot. The |
way those crowds snapped up the Ie-
Ifreshments. solid and liquid. was some |
thing absolutely unbelievable | made |
almost as much in that series as the |
one with Boston that followed soon !
after. as I did in any entire month !
OF the season. Why they'd even buy
popcorn.
Funny thing about popcorn con-
ltinued Mr. Fridley. Mr.. Wheelan,
who had the concession from the club
before | got II. made his popcorn the
main staff OF life for the bugs. Per
haps he had a way of selling il that
none OF my men have. At any rate.
nobody bought much of anything else.
When Whee1an left the fans seemed 10
switch at once TO peanuts. To my
mind it's only natural There's some
thing about peanuts that seems asso-
ciated with baseball in the popular
mind. / never hear a shell crackle |
but feel like going upstairs where
sition. I saw q newspaper article that !
had IL that Indianapolis fans ate Is
tons of peanuts last year. ! guess De-
troit fans ate so. And pop, What they I
drank before August you could put In I
your eye, but they consumed enough |
in the next two months to float bat
tleship.
"Oh, It's a great game and great
town TO work in"
Perhaps it's bit unfortunate that
the d. A. c. didn't preface it's attempt
TO revive racing on skates by featur-
ing local talent in a preliminary meet
or two. It's hard TO work up real en-
thusiasm over the competition between
outsiders, not known even by reputa-
ton locally. And they all seemed 80
well acquainted. too.
And still the rumor refuses 10 down
that Jake Mazer and his veteran band
won't take counsel from the example
of Robert Fitzsimmons.
If Eddie Summers thinks that De-
troit fandom holds anything against
him from the worlds series. ne has
another guess coming. Ills prompt i
entrance into the field of signed ath-
letes should be accepted as the indi-
cation OF an uptamed spirit
How. " Mr. Mercy. who annuaily h
muddles in an official manner the
American leagues batting and fielding
statistics. could only dig up 80 more
hits for the st. Louis Browns. he
might boost them into a first division
finish.
Add TO the list OF ex-presidents or
the American association the name OF
Joe O'Brien. Doubtless J. Ed. Grill0
and the rest have already forwarded
CONGRATULATIONS on Joe's return TO the
field OF journalism
Once more we're called on 10 mourn
az the bier OF the man who discovered