Evening star., 1909-04-25

ball yard, when there are-oh, well. he
got 1t. yes. but 1t was q plumb accident:
anybody could see that 1t was an acci-
dent. He just threw out his mitt. the
big cheese, and the ball stuck there. that's
how 1t happened
But It is not only with reference to the
single game, but to the entire standing
and prospects Of the team, that the Pessi-
mist pulls his dirge-like dope.
Fr instance, when the team is sailing
along pretty smooth and easy, nobody
sick, club snagging q leetle more than its
share Of the games. pitchers working well,
everything looking pretty nifty and bright,
why, one day you sort O. unload it on the
Pessimist this way:
well. dunno. Things look pretty
good for the club, hey? Kind O. fair.
what? Ought to finish kind o. up near
the top Of the second division this year
I Whereupon the Pessimist stakes you
to the glub-glub gaze and views you-as
you can seas II you were some pecu-
harly imbecile kind Of a water bug in a
bath tub.
Finish near the top of the second
division?" he squeaks at you. shaking
his head dismally all the while "Say.
stop living In Rockville. why don't you?
Or is. 1t Hyattsville? Dye mean to tell
me that just because there's been a little
Hash in the pan-that because the club
hasn't been slugged to death lately
there's any chance on earth for it to fin-
ish anywhere else than In Its old notch?
Aw. fergit it, fergit 1t! What are they
Tell me that. What are they going to
beat? Oh. know all that stuff about
the pitchers being on edge, and about 'em
coping more games than they're entitled
corresponding time last year. but that
doesn't prove anything. The old slump
sky is bound to come. The big young
fall down may be a little overdue, but
tn be along, don't you ever worry your
meant to finish anywhere except where
It's always been finishing. because. when
you come to put the dope on 1t. why, 1t
hasn't got the players. that's all. Now.
take 1t this way" etc. ETC.. and he globs
along, and he can't see even a little bit
OF ray Of hope. and by the time you've
been in his presence for about ten min
utes, why. he has SO wrought upon you
that you yourself have come to be a bit
has gone out Of the sky and the brides
somehow or another. have quit bus
their little throats with their singing
and the Pessimist has done 1t all.
The Other Fellow.
The Optimist at the ball game doesn't
depress you with his dreariness and his
inability to see any possible light ahead.
but he irritates you because OF his utter
lack Of anything even remotely resem-
bling q sense OF humor.
with roseate visionings that he can't see
more than a quarter OF an inch beyond
the terminus Of his proboscis.
"Oh, that's all right sezzee, namely.
such matter. and It's the nintk inning,
and two OF our ginks are out, and there
isn't chance in 100000 for US to ag-
gregate or accrue SO much as q smell at
the game. All right, young feller. Well
snag yet. Wait'll you see. Funnier
things than that have happened Why
say, remember q game, once, when"
Everything Is too all-fred fine In the
view OF the Optimist chap. He doesn't
use any reasoning in connection with the
stuff at all. Say, for instance, one of
the infielders. a regular man, is on the
sick list and there's a young fellow in
filling his job who needs such an awful
whole lot by way of experience that
can see 1t with one-eighth of an eye
through q Scotch mistral.
Mice boy, that kid" you observe with
respect to the utility player who's falling
down and all over himself doing the in
field stun. but he'll be due later on. after
he's been whanged around lot. Got the
makin's, but he's not quite there with it
yet"
''Gittout! gittoutr' bawls the optimist
infelder that ever stood on leather in the
civilized globe since the world began.
Why, say. he's q genius at it. Oh. I
don't care about his two or three little
bobbieries. I'm a-telling you. ma-an,
earmarks of q gsen-yus at this Unfolding
thing, and he's not only q conner, but |
he's got here already. He's a." and |
hull lot moro like that.
One Of our men slaps up little bit of a |
pop fly that the man in the middle garden |
doesn't have to move out Of his tracks
to get The center fielder just stands |
there. eating his little blade OF grass |
and watching the ball lazily sailing right
at his teeth like a mother watching her
first baby In its cradle, and with the same |
expression Of loving regard, and every |
body around the place knows that that |
middle gardener Is just about as liable !
to miss netting that fly as he Is to jump |
weights.
He'll never get it in this world" |
bellers the Optimist seated alongside of
you. Nix git for him. oh. know |
liar but q little birdie tells me that he |
won't get 1t. How's that? He's not |
required to move out Of his shoe tracks to |
let it drift into his mitt? Oh. 1 know |
One OF our fingers blows all OF sud
den, and five of the other teams fellows |
flock over the pan.
Crfticises Manager.
Jaw, sh. cks, that's nothing" says the |
Optimist, idiotically. What the dickens |
do they mean by taking that HEAVIER out?
He didn't blow. He just missed a cog
or two in doping some of those hitters
out, but he didn't blow. That's all .bally-
hoo about his blowing. Huh! Blow
nothin'i He wouldn't know how to blow
q wax candle IL it was two inches away
from his face. that feller-don't tell me-"
And It's just the same about the gem
eral condition of the team.
The club. say. is away to the tobog.
It's been going down and down. The
end Of the season approaches. and still
the team, somehow. can't get out Of the
bad crack. 1t reaches the position it'll
finish in. and all the gang can
do then. of course, is to begin to MUNICH
the old dope about next year.
We'll, we gave 'em run for their