The Detroit times., 1912-03-14
GOOD
EVEN AFTER TRIP BACK
TO THE j. 5, A. STARTS
Gamer, Last Year, Just Got On
With the Regulars Before :
Going South
NESS NEARLY BEAT HIM
Only at Louisville Did Lanky
First Sacker Begin To
Show Real Form
NESS NEARLY BEAT HIM
BY RALPH L. YoNkER.

the management OF the Tigers Is
willing TO let the recruits and regu
!ars leave this place and begin their
trip back 10 the United States IL win
be just about definitely known who
VIII form the Tiger squad 10 start
the season.
Yet II there be a recruit who dur
ms the coming two weeks does not
show we'll enough 10 get perch
ATOMS with the good-enoughs in the
furniture OF Manager Jennings brain,
he need not despair for there is still
hope for him TO show his stun In the
exhibition games.
Last year, the man who proved TO
be the greatest sensation or the ear
ly part OF the year with the Tigers
barely escaped being sent into the
wilderness with Bill Donovan's Yam
nigans. Just before leaving here IL
was toss-up in Jennings mind
whether 10 take Del Gamer with him
and send. Ness with Donovan, or vice
versa
On the trip north, Gamer showed
lack of confidence both in his field
ing and his hitting, and having no
confidence himself, his teammates
"cAc hOl Win MN. Vi seNeIdl
games he played only fair ball and
| IL looked as il the auburn haired
manager had erred in selecting the
lanky West Virginian for his squad.
Then, at Louisville. Del found hinf-
self and he began clouting the best
of the pitchers and fielding like an
old.timer. A. Cincinnati his wallops
increased. He had been given con
! fidence in himself and the other
| Tigers we're with him.
So here's a word TO the recruit who
feels blue at the end of the training
season here. Nix on the indigo, but
satisfy the most Missourish on the
way to Navin field.
| II wishing would build gymnasiums
| there would have been another one
in northern Louisiana ere now. II
would have been very close TO Mon
roe and il would have been filled fol-
over half OF the time OF that part OF
the training season that is past with
Tigers and Tigerettes.
! If there had been one. a certain
Hughie jennings might by this time
have had much more definite idea
OF who were to be on the Tiger pay
roll during the coming season. Indoor
training is only a substitute for the
real stuff outside, but IL is better far
than lobbying"
During large part OF the fortnight
that has passed the baseball candi'
dates in the University of Michigan
squad have been getting more work
than the Tigerettes, In spite of the
fact that they didn't journey the
breadth of county to get TO a warm
climate.
Every effort to afford the Tigers
some sort OF indoor work besides
1 playing pool and billiards has failed
Hugh Jennings inspected the build
ings out at the fair grounds thor
oughly In the hope OF finding room
with ceiling high enough TO permit
the installation of a handball courd
but there was none to be found.
| The attempt TO arrange for some
indoor work had to begin and end
| there.
/ The punk weather and the conse
Quent thriving of the poker industry
brought TO mind the question OF
Gambling In baseball Most bal
players are good sports when II
comes TO betting and thousands oil
the fans who are absorbed in base
ball gamble on nearly every sport
Yet they lay of the gambling when
| it comes to baseball. WHY
Hugh Jennings explained II in this
way:
THE reason there is little gambling
on baseball Is that 1t is too uncer'
tain. That sums up everything.
In order that gambling shall
thrive there must be some organized
system. and any organized system
calls for a percentage OF profits fol
those conducting the gambling.
he professional gambler ne mat
ter in what line, must have an ad
vantage over the men with whom he
! plays Even In poker the professions
plays only with those over whom he
knows he is superior. in knowledge
or wits.
| NO gambler can be sure OF a per
| centaee OF profits from baseball
| Hence the game is not burdened al
Is racing by organized gambling.
| There is one thing for which yoi
Ihave 10 hand Il TO the Monroe base
ball park. II dries OF from the de
luEe about as quickly as any IN tht
country. II is over sand that permits
the water TO drain of quickly and
few hours after a heavy rain IL Is n
TO play on
While the field itself is all right
tEere ought TO be a viaduct across
the track that surrounds IL, as a rair
makes that the original sea OF mud
/ This sticky yellow clay il is, thai
acts in the way Of IA bootjack.