The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-08-19
BASEBALL HELPS
TO WIN OLyMP'|CS

Mr. A. c. Spalding who was ap-
pointed by the late President Mo-
Kinley American commissioner 10 the
Olympic games at Paris In 1900. and
who follows all athletic events of
whatever character with the keenest
interest. has theory about the iH-
variable success Of American athletes
In international contests that is origt-
mai and worthy OF consideration.
"of course. said Mr.. spaidinx. ~
am not surprised at the result at
stockholm History han been repeat
| ing itself in this way ever since the
| celebration OF the Olympic games was
| inaugurated at Athens. America won
the victory there In 1896 she triumph
ed again at Paris In 1890. Our athletes
defeated the contestants at Il. Louis
| In 1904 the victory was ours nj Lon
| don in 1908, and IT. was foregone
| Stockholm.
| But there ts food for thought in
this uninterrupted succession of ri
umphs. Why DO our athletes always
WIN All other things being equal.
| the contestants in the country hold
ing the event should naturally come
| to the front, Their numbers are nj
ways greater than those from any
other country and the homo grounds
| influence ia strong. However. thar al
vantage has not in any cass pre-
vented American success.
| Therefore there must tie q cause.
What IS Il Measured by scale and
tape, our athletes are not so much su
pertor as a class. The theory of
more beer must be discarded We
! aMf al
best trainers OF the world. We must
! look TO some other source for Ameri-
| can prowess.
| Il may be r. prejudiced Judge, hut !
believe the whole secret Of those con-
tinued success Is TO be found IN The
kind OF training that comes with the
playing of Americas national game
and our competitors in other lands may
never hope TO reach the standard of
American athletes until they learn this
lesson and adopt our pastime
| The question, When should the
training OF child Begin has been
wisely answered by the statement that
| il should antedate his birth. The Train
! Ing OF baseball may not go back qutte
| that far, but II approaches the time
as nearly as practicable, for America
starts training OF future Olvmpinn
winners very early In life Youngsters
I
begin quickening their eyesign, &ud
| sharpening their wits and strength
en!ng their hands and arms ana legs
by playing on baseball fields ready at
hand IN the meadows Of farms. fine
commons of villages and the parks Of
cities all over the land. Baseball
combines running. jumping, throwing
and everything that constitutes the
athletic events OF the Olynnpian games
But above all, It imparts to the player
that degree OF confidence in compefi-
tion, that indetnable something that
enables one athlete 10 win over an
other who may be his physical equal
but who 10 lacking the American
spirit begotten OF baseball.
AN analysis Of the 1912 Olympian
games shows that the Americans
showed 10 best advantage in contests
where the stress OF competition Was
hardest IN the dashes they were
supreme: in the hurdles they We're In
a class by themselves. and In the nigh
Jump and pole vault there was no one
worthy OF their steel. Whenever quick
thinking and acting was required, an
Amerlcal was in front. Does not This
fact prove that the American game
OF baseball enables the PLAYER to de-
termine in the fraction OF a second
what 10 do TO defeat his contestant?