Evening star., 1914-04-05

| ing the hay" season. In summer the
| trading of rookie is matter of minor
! Importance. In winter the sporting writ
/ ers grasp such a news fact as fox ter
\ rer grasps newly discovered hone. And
! they gnaw upon 1t. They turn II over in
| the Sunday edition. They exhume tn.
| corpse with q denial and then deny the
| denial
/ Hard is the life of the sporting writer
! before the season opens
/, But let US look over the fans. The OBJ
| server went to office where he has al
| ways assumed the sweet spirit of sanity
| held sway. lie can truthfully state that
f! he had always believed every member of
| the firm, including the clerks, to be free
| from paresis or other mental ailments.
| He walked in.
/ There a III side whskers who
| had his vest off and in his right hand was
| a wad of scratch paper carefully wetted
| and made into a sort Of suhlimated spit
! ball The man was weaving from side
! to side. HIS arm was pumping up and
| down and his chest was heavng.
Il tell you" he declared vehemently,
i that the trouble with those young pitch
ers is that they don't know how to throw
/ their curve balls and their swift balls
with the same motion No pitcher. in
| these days of science, is worth a hoot un-
| less he can do all his pitching with the
| same motion"
| 1t was not the Observers fault that he
| didn't get out of the way.
\
before he knew what was happening, and
the Observer caught the sodden lump of
paper on the third button of his vest.
| Major" said the Observer, reproacn-
| fully, ''if you don't want me in this Of
flee all you have to do is to say so. I am
no intruder. ! prefer to shun my fellow
men on general principles. But I don't
like to have things heaved at me when l
am merely calling to get little informa-
| ton
| MY boy" said the major, excitedly
rushing to the water cooler and preparing
another lump Of paper and water, this
is an important question"
question or no question replied the
Observer, firmly, you can't use my vest
as target This vest cost me Sc, and
Don't be a fool, urged the major; 81
am demonstrating an important PROPOSE
ton here
Carl, who had been doing quite a good
deal of arguing, got in on the discussion.
Yes he said, 'the major has a the
ory that the new pitchers can't learn how
to throw all balls with the same motion.
He says that veterans like Ty Cobb and
Sam Crawford and Clyde Milan can tell
by a pitchers motion what he is going to
throw. and that pitchers must learn to
use the same side-arm motion straight
arm movement II they are going to be
effective.
The major was threatening to pitch
lagain. He was wildly excited. The OBJ
server went to him and calmed him. He
did it by suggesting that the major lend
him So. This brought the major to his
senses Immediately. And in the brief 81
Ience the Observer jamn,ed home the
pregnant comment which lad been bur
dening his soul.
why" he asked didn't you and Carl
go to the ball game this afternoon. Ma
tionals won, 4 to 3, playing the Philles.
1t was one of the fastest games I ever
saw"
Huh" said the major, dropping the
lump of paper and water, that was only
a practice game.
What If 1t was?' demanded the OBJ
server.
Nothing, my boy replied the major, In
kindly accents, except that we are
waiting for the real games to BEGIN
The Observer sneaked while the major
, was prparing to make another paper ball.
There was look in the majors eye
| which was maniacal
| And he went on and on, seeking further
| Information.
There is a man in Washington who
comes from France and 1t is his proud
| boast that he has never yet missed a
| ball game in his life. He goes out and
| roots for the Nationals until they carry
him off the field on stretcher, and after
| he RECEIVERS he goes right out again and
does the same thing over again His fear
| lessness of the demonapoplexy hasn't
been equaled since the days when stout
| Norman noblemen were informed by the
| lfttJn yjSfC hot $o ~
guillotined.
! The Observer sought him out
The Frenchman was wildly excited His
only protest was that a German pitcher
| was permitted to play on the team
"Peeg," protested the Frenchman.
| why should he ze team play He
| would fail Zere is not zee e'sprite.
Doochmen should not play base ballr,
What about Hans Wagner?'
The Frenchman shrugged a pair Of m.
pressive shoulders.
"Ah." he smiled. but he is an Amer4-