The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1909-11-22
STAR PITCHERS
ARE BIG CARDS
Public Likes 10 See Them In Ac-
tion-Wrestling Boom
Spreads.
By THOMAS S. RICE.

hardly believe Il does and much OF the
talk about increasing the hitting is not
warranted
Is baseball losing in popular favor2
Not on your life! It IS growing
so fast that they can hardly build
parks big enough 10 hold the crowds.
Does the announcement that Christy
Mathewson, Ed Walsh or one Of the
other no-hit pitchers is carded to work
keen down the attendance. We trow
not. Per contra. as we say in Donegal.
the fact that one Of the big fellows who is
likely to have only twenty-seven men
face him is about to perform packs in
the fans whether his team is at home
or abroad. II he lives up to the sched-
Cle set for him by the popuiace, the
spectators are tickled TO death and
spend the rest of the day and a large
part Of the night telling these wao were
not there what they missed.
AS a matter OF fact We ara OF the
opinion that the present style IS ex-
actly suited to the American taste.
No pitcher. no matter how good he is.
goes through a season scathless. More
or less often he gets his bumps Every
body wants TO see whether II is the day
for that particular twirler to get his.
II # IS, great Joy or great grief, accord
ing to whether he is at home or away.
II he does not. then the wonderful
stunts he performs are well worth the
price OF admission anyhow.
Also remember that anything Ike a
no-h1t game requires the sharpest kind
OF nelding. The pitcher does not work
alone Not by JugTui- He has eight
assistants helping him along, and upon
me sharpness of the fielding depends
the light in which the scorers VIII re-
gard "a doubtful swat The men behind
the slabman know this, and in a record
game the interest IS always kept alive
BY the activities Of the support No
we do not believe there IS the crying
demand for more hitting which might
be supposed from the number OF stories
and suggestions on the subject which
appear IA the mid-winter dope.
Stin. we hope Clyde Milan hits a utIe
more.
The boom in wrestling is growing, and
1t VIII be interesting 20 watch how long
Il lasts before the grapplers xiii their
own good thing by taking. A few peni-
Tertiary sentences for those that ielib-
erately arrange frame ups in this or
any other sport would be a powerful
help TO the good cause. Among tie new
corners IN the wrestling world will soon
DS TWO from across the water. They
are William Banker who travels under
tue name OF Apollo and his prOtege
John Lemm- The protege Is the man
selected by that weird committee OF
Englishmen to meet Frank Gotch before
Gotch could be matched with Hackeu-
schmidt in London. Gotch told the
busybOdies TO go chase themselves. ana
returned 10 America Lemm has repeat
eQly cnailenged Hack and posted $500 10
bind the match. but the big Russian has
.5our-hushed out Of the bout L.emm has
done some pretty good wrestling but
has much 10 fear from him. Banker
Is strong man, graUpler and all
around athlete. He IS said TO have per
formed recently the remarkable feat OF
Skipping the rope 5000 times ia one hour
and nVe minutes
Ian Hague, the heavyweight champion
q england, Tor some mysterious rea-
son, is now called Iron Hague. He and
his manager were recently thrown Out
o. caos but neither was seriously in
5ured-
How would fl do for the District Com
snlssioners 10 call convention 10 decide
about rules for youngsters using the
size walks as a skating ground2 Nobody
a. hlrt IN FOOTBALL except those who
play IT, but anybody is likely 10 lie nm
over by some child or haIf-grown rush
ing peu nell along the pavements on
roller skates and there is no relief
Whatever FOR the victim The streets OF
washington are asphslted and are the
pace Tor those who wish 10 progress
otherwise than on foot. Even the side
walks Of Pennsylvania avenue and the
other crowded thOrOughfares are nor ex-
empt from the nuisance and menace
2ut me police seem 70 have no author
lly 10 check II. If you are Knocked
over the best you get is bruises and i'm
pudence- II the enraged citizen admin
isters slap on the wrist 20 the onend-
munster OF lepraFlty, and the parents
OF the dear child demand thar the Dedae-
1rlan be sent TO the peultentiaTv for
Il-ety nine years, with no Communication
Also an unheard Of thing is Tor a hi
eycAst 10 ring his bell Let's protect
the public while showing so much s0Ifr-
ttude for the football players
Three or four years ago when racing
n New YORK was IN a precautions srf-
uauon. the proposition was advance
and accepted that the pr0ner T.,7-- 81
cave the game was 10 false the adj
mission price 10 five dollars and abolish
ne Ifee neld' thereby eliminating me
piking bettors who could not afford DO
lose. That was not a bad idea as an
al decent folk who witnessed The rfffFr-l
ana miserable scenes at ST. Louis when
That city had a racetracF war and ad-
mission was free 20 both parks -ar
TESTIFY. Even the fact that the hand
books and poOIro0ms were running
right along and offered an easier
method OF betting than ne track b-Gl,s
did not invalidate the argument Rut.
now that the tracks Ia New York arr
barely existing through a dubious de-
clsiOu OF the courts another tack has
been taken The cry is % make racing
more popular and win the hearts Of the
common people Eloug with their
money. Before the last election ga New
York the professional bElsenhefr1rrs
were telling us that Tamuauv and
with II the racetrack interests would
sweep the city and start similar wave
through the State. u was "A cruel blow
when the Republicans elected uretfv
much everybody except the mayor ana
the grip OF Governor Hughes and The
Hughes reforms were fastened uunn the
city stronger than before. Hence the
change Of front about admission prices
on the part Of the racing advocates Ia
q dsspairing EFFORT TO find support