The Pensacola journal., 1913-11-21
CPORTINGC
~ ** NEWO
BY Morris Miller.

The idea of starting the major
league schedule a few days later next
April viii please the average fan. And
IT viii also do a great good in culling
out q few OF the open dates that we
have been having for several seasons
Too often the early days OF the base
ball season are marked by weather
quite unfavora BILE for ball playins and
the later the season begins the better
Last year It will be emembered quite
a number Of the major league teams
were unable to open on the first Sched-
1led date of the season owing to the
precipitation of rain drops. Doing
away with the open dates viii also
help a let. for the reason that it's poor
stuff for a ball team to be idle several
DAYS In succession. And the fans
are apt to lose interest in the home
team If they lay off for a while, which
IS not an inconsiderable item. The
regular attendants at the lot are SLOW
in gathering around again after seV-
eral days lay-of and frequently it
puts the team out Of tune for a week
OF more. By starting things a I tide
later there will be fewer bitches and
we vii have one grand romp froVA the
ring of the opening bell to the " erld's
series. Which is as it should be.
The mayor Of Bcuham. Te X. was
a r&bid baseball fan and that explains
IN a way why Bob Russell is at pres
ent pitching high class ball for the
NLllS SOA. Al 0fET rate y n. Hart
grove, the mayor, who also gcontEucts a
fancy and staple grocery business
WhlIe not mayoring was nv uch fretted
when the BonhaRl ball team had a
long losing streak an6l the mayor made
up his mind to do what he could to
stop it. One Of his Jerks; said he had
cousin who was q, right small ball
pitcher and the ma, Tor tod him for
goodness sakes to bring him around
So the clerk brought pIEt the southpaw
marvel who proved t 0 Eoe no Iess-and
no more-a persona2 e than Bob Rus
sell himself Reb ca He'd 8. hiatt to the
Bonham losing Strea * winning nanv
a game for them and he's managed TO
behave in the same ianner ever since.
When the football experts begin to
select their AiI-Amer lean team at the
end of the present SEASON they will
find that in one resp ecC az least they
are up against a ery knotty little
problem. In picking the line and the
backfeld they may b 2 able to get by
all right, but when they reach the
point where they are Is select the best
quarterback for the honor they'll be
in a pretty pickle. There seems to
be this season quite a beRdldering va
riety of the most brill liant and scintiI-
ating quarterback ia lent. We have
surely developed a Er, vat bevy of fast
and efficient quarters : Logan with
has been play ing a wonderful
game. Huntington of Colgate is said
to be one of the most deserving can
didates for the AH-AI nerAcan honor.
Others insist that it " Duld be q. great
mistake to overlook toriaS of Norte
Dame while Just as many point out
he remarkable record of PrichaFd at
West Point. Click OF Princeton, Mar
sl7aE of Pennsylvania, Welsh of Car
Isle and Deetien of Wesleyan are a
few others that are chained to be
neadIineTs in she quarterback class
and their records AND performances
show it. Picking the best quarter
back class and their REQ ords and per-
rormances show it. Picking che best
quarter this fall viii be nothing in
the nature Of cinch.
Oltphant of Perdue wore an ankle
brace in a game against Chicago not
so long ago, and the result was that
Chicago beat Purdue. Had OIiphant
oeen able to get away without the
erace on his ankle the chances are that
he Boiiermal1ers would hs5ve copped
he victory Seems queer at first
hought, bIt that's the way the Chi
ago critics doped 1t out and there is
'ealIy something in it. O4iphant. the
astest and cleYerest tBaHbRck in the
was spotted from the first
whistle by all the Chicago plavers
They had been instructed to s-et him
nd luck was with them. He was the
,nly man on the field who wore an
mike brace. In a fast play or scriln-
mage he was easy 30 find And Chi
ago was able to SHOP him while, had
e not worn the badge on his ankle
many times. But he was a marked
nan and every time a Chicago man
aw an ankle brace he made dive for
t. And so Purdue lost because OF