The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-04-11

 sition in the spring sporting pro- gram. His record will be followed closely by university alumni and with even closer scrutiny by the profess sional scout, for major league club managers are fully aware that occa- sionally a star may be plucked from the varsity diamond Players of the calibre of Eddie Collins and Christy Mathewson are found but infrequent- 1y. There always exists, however, the possibility of securing players who, if ssot capabl9 of major league speed at the outset of their professional ca reers, can quickly be coached and trained to the point where they are decided acquisition to a big circuit club.
 standard of play in college baseball has risen rapidly during the past few years. Veteran big leaguers have aided the natural player by advice and instruction. Little hints on how to bat; take the ball for a quick throw and other points of technique in the game quickly bring players with natural qualifications within the range of major league possibilities. All those connected with the profes- siona1 game to-day realize that the college baseball team offers one of the best recruiting grounds at the dispo- sal of the big league magnates. Billy Evans, the American League umpire, g. college graduate and close observer of every angle of baseball, said re- gently in discussing t0is phase of the game:
 '"The college ball player has be- come a big factor in the major lea gues. Ten years ago a collegian was a, rarity in big league lineup. A few years ago major league scouts, in search of promising material. gave the college games very little consid- eration. At big game last summer between two strong college teams, exactly twelve major league scouts were in attendance. Quite testf- monfaI to the value placed on the college player, by the men whose du- ty it is to pick up future big league stars.
 "Connie Mack is the pioneer in the exploiting of the college player. The resourceful leader of the worlds champions saw the worth of the col- Iege player, long before any other ma- jor league manager locked on the varsity athlete seriously. once asked Mack why he was always so anxious to look over the promising college players. His reply was brief, but characteristic of the fa- nous leader of the Athletics "I like players who can think. Four years of study certainly ought to Improve fellows Intelligence. If it hasn't, it doesn't take me very long | discover son why I favor the collegian, is be- cause he comes to me free from any other style of play It is much cas- fer to get players accustomed to your way of thinking, who have never been drilled in any other system. An other point in favor of the colleg1an is that he knows pretty well the best rules for keeping in condition. have no use for players who faiI to keep in shape. He also has been taught the real value of discipline by his professor in the class room and his coach on the ball ,field.''' 
 The first intercollegiate crew regal ta of the year IS rowed to-day on the Oakland estuary, California, with the varsity and freshmen eights of Wash ington, Stanford and California com peting. In addition to the usual in- terest which centers about this rae e for the intercollegiate rowing title of the Pacific Coast, there is the added probability that the winning eight waternanship and endurance at Poughkeepsie, against the leading Eastern college crews in the race for the intercollegiate championship of the nation. During the past two years the Stanford University and University of Washington have sent crews to the Hudson, representing the | far west, just as Wisconsin has for many seasons been the sole entry from the Middle West.
 In 1912 the Stanford crew, which won the triangular regatta on the miles in 16 minutes 10 seconds, fin ished a poor last at Poughkeepsfe- Last season Washington's eight won the Pacific Coast regatta in IT min utes, A seconds, and on the Hudson finished third, less than two shell | crew. There were many spectators present who held the opinion that had the Seattle crew spurted earlier | in the race, Washington would have won instead of tapping Cornell's shell with Syracuse leading the Ithaca l oarsmen. It is due to this excellent showing that Eastern rowing enthu-
 siasts look to Washington to win to- 1 day's race and return to the Hudson | course for another try for national l honors.
 Coach Hiram Conibear, however, 1 states that his crew is not equal in l either weight, form or stroke ability | to the 1912 combination and for that reason he is rather doubtful of the
 outcome of the race. He said recent l 1y:
 .@we are not expecting waIkaway 1 in the race. I consider our chances are only fair for winning. Many people will think that, after the show ing Of last year varsity, we ought to
 win from Stanford and California by
 at least half a mile. But l do not | have the material this season that had last and with this years crew I
 will be tickled to death if we pull
 over the finishing line with open wa
 ter between us and the second crew"
 The new athletic fraternity, Sigma
 Delta Psi, membership in which Is to
 be won by ability to attain satisfac-
 tory marks in list of specified ath-
 letic events, is making rapid growth in popularity and membership tn
 Eastern college circles Started in the Middle West about year ago the l plan and objects of the fraternity 1 have gained adherents in all parts of the country. The tests are designed d to strike a balance between the events