The Rice belt journal., 1913-06-13
Z ~ 4 49, ~ ~ ~ t.@.& $ g -,
FANS:
Motto May the best team win But ours is the best
Copyright, 1915, by W. G.Chappan)
By Hugh S. Fullerton

song of the sox rooters when they
scent victory.
One of the most dramatic displays
of loyalty | ever saw was in l901,
when the team, beaten and displaced
from the championship, came home TO
close the season. They had gone
away in high hopes, and failed. It,
was Sunday, and as the defeated
team marched down the field 1900
men and women, stood silent and un-
covered for moment, then broke
into applause that swept the stands
1t Is small wonder that team back
ed always by such loyalty won even,
during years when it seemed much
weaker than Its opponents.
t'shave heard opposing players de-
clare they would rather face anything
in the game than the grinding root
ing" Of the, Chicago south side fans.
The only duplicate l know is the
rasping. nerve-racking, long Yale yell.
Not all players are frank enough TO
admit that the roofing has any erect
/ Indeed it is a common pose to pre-
tend that they do not even hear. But
they do. Even among themselves
they pretend they do not care; but
once in a while they tell their inner
feelings. They know that half the
men who quit the major leagues are
driven out by the voice of the fan. |
have seen men break and go all to
pieces, rave and swear and abuse
everyone after suffering cruel grill
! ing by a crowd.
Walter Wilmot, one of Anson's IA
nous old Chicago players, came to a
game on the old grounds fifteen years
after retiring. He looked across to-
ward the left field and said:
There's some of them out there
, now I'd like to choke"
, Yet the roar of the crowd does not
break them as quickly as does some
, sharp thrust Of sarcasm or biting wit
. from an Individual. Perhaps thai
e shaft is only the last straw, but when
| a player is in nervous collapse ne
T usually RACES at some individual who
). said something to him. Josh Reilly
= one of the merriest, happiest players
ever knew, blew up" one day ant
!. had to be restrained from assaultint
r three or four thousand men in thu
9 bleachers.
II Did you hear what he said?" de
g manded Reilly as the other players
" tried to restrain him.
J. What did he say?" inquired some
. one.
l. "He said: Reilly, you're disgrace
!. to the Irish" and then he rage'
3. again.
e One of the quickest things ! eve
e heard was a remark from a Wasf
a. ington fan which upset Frank Isbel
b. the veteran, completely 1sbell's hea
a. is as bald as concrete pavement
% and usually he kept his cap plastere
n tightly on his head to shield himse
ID from the gibes of crowds. This tim
8, he tried to steal second and made
lie desperate, diving slide around and III
le der the baseman only to be calle
out He was SO enraged that he ra
r. at the umpire. grasped, his arm a
II gued and raved and finally in shee
le anger, jerked off his cap, hurled
le onto the ground and jumped upon !
is His bald head glistened in the SUI
n light and the crowd roared. Thel
above the roar came voice:
al "Put on that cap. They pinche
IL Mary Garden here for less than that
20 Possibly more trying than any CO..
le certed roofing is the incessant ma
It. ging to which players on the Poi
te grounds, New York, are subjecte
ie The one great bit of rejoicing amor