The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1913-06-20
FANS
Mono: May the best team win; But ours is the best
By Hugh S. Fullerton
tcopyright, lsla ~ W. 9. Chapmanl

song of the Sox rooters when they
scent victory.
One OF the most dramatic displays
OF loyalty ever saw was In 1907,
when the team, beaten and displaced
from the championship, came home to
close the season. They had gone
away In high hopes, and failed. 1t
was Sunday. and as the defeated
team marched down the field $1,000
men and women stood silent and un-
covered for moment, then broke
into applause that swept the stands.
It Is small wonder that q team back
ed always by such loyalty won even
during years when 1t seemed much
weaker than its opponents.
have 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 / know Ia the
rasping. nerye-racking, long Yale yell.
Not all players are frank enough to
admit that the roofing has any effect.
Indeed 1t 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 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 a cruel grill
ing by a crowd.
Walter Wilmot, one OF Anson's IA
nous old Chicago players. came to
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 that
shaft Is only the last straw, but when
player is In nervous collapse he
usually RACES at some individual who
| said something to him. Josh Reilly,
one of the merriest, happiest players
ever knew, blew up" one day and
| had to be restrained from assaulting
| three or four thousand men in the
/, bleachers.
Did you hear what he said?" de-
manded Reilly as the other players
tried to restrain him.
What did he say?" inquired some
one.
HE said: Reilly. you're disgrace
to the Irish" and then he ragged
again.
| One OF the quickest things / ever
heard was a remark from a Wash
ington fan which upset Frank Isbell,
the veteran, completely. Isbells head
is as bald as concrete pavement,
and usually he kept his cap plastered
| tightly on his head to shield himself
| from the gibes of crowds. This time
he tried to steal second and made a
| desperate, diving slide around and IN
| der the baseman only to be called
out. He was so enraged that he ran
at the umpire, grasped his arm. ar
gued and raved and finally in sheer
anger. jerked or his cap. hurled it
onto the ground and jumped upon 1t.
His bald head glistened in the sun
| light and the crowd roared Then,
above the roar came voice:
Put on that cap. They pinched
i Mary Garden here for less than that. g
Possibly more trying than any con-
certed roofing is the incessant nag
ging to which players on the Polo
grounds. New York, are subject 4.
The one great bit Of rejoicing among