The Nashville globe. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1906-193?, 1910-08-05
The Public Demands Clean Sport.


The gentlemen who are managing
baseball clubs in this city are often
heard to complain that the public do
not support the teams. The argu-
ment is advanced that the teams play
ing here now furnish a good average
class of baseball, and that the colored
people will not attend the games.
This is d~iscouraging indeed to those
men who are trying to give to the
public just what they are asking for.
But it would not be fair to the public
to blame them for not attending these
games without stating both sides of
the case.
There are several teams In the city,
and some of them put up a pretty fair
article of baseball, and some of them
play very bum ball. Again some of
the teams conduct themselves in such
a way on the diamond that the spec
tators become disguised. So there
needs to be a general reformation in
the teams and if the manager will
have their players conduct them
selves manly on the baseball field the
public will appreciate that much.
Baseball s--a-~seientific game, and
cannot be played with the hands and
feet alone. The public has been edu-
Gated to scientific ball playing, where
the mead is used more than the hands.
The game is easily understood by
the public, and they expect to see the
players on a team execute play in a
way to elicit their applause, and they
know when it is done. The day was
when a team Of boys from the grass
lots could get out before a crowd and
holler a few loud yeips, turn head
owe heels and call each other vile
names and satisfy an audience, but
that day has long since passed. A
ball player must act a gentleman on
the diamond. The public will not sup
port a team Of rowdies. For example
two teams are playing. The umpire
calls a strike, and a player on the side
in the field yells out at the umpire,
What you say?" and at the same
time paws the earth and claws his cap
off of his head. Then another player
will call out to a runner who had
oUdl ICu llOll OnC DdoC w dlOlllCl ,
Come back here, niger, whar you
gwine? look at that guy, ha! ha! ha!
Whew!" At the same time this same
player will convert himself into sew
eral timber jack shapes, all for his
own personal amusement. While he
is going through these stunts the ball
will be thrown to him, which he of
course misses or fumbles, and then he
turns to the party who threw the ball
and addresses him in this manner,
What yu dom niger, amt yu got no
sense?" and rolls his beautiful white
eyes at his fellow player. While all
this is going on the spectators are
waiting i%mpatiently for II run for their
money, and they are vowing to never
go to another game in which this
or that team participates. A ball
player should remember that he IS
not playing, in reality, but that he IS
working to the end that he will salts
fly the customers obtained.
There was a time when Nashville
could boast of having several good
teams. In the days when the Pacifics,
the Nashville Unions, the Lincks and
others, the people of this city were
treated to an article of baseball that
was of the first-class. Many Of the
old players sit and look at The young
steers and shake their heads in dis
gust. The game has been improved
in many departments, but the young
players, in most cases are DEPRESSING.
When a young man shows signs OF
promise he is soon snatched up by
some of the big colored teams of the
country that are always Looking for
talent, and who offer good salaries for
the right kind of players.
One manager says that he believes
the game is dead here for Negro