University Missourian., 1914-05-22
FANS" EMBARRASS
GIRL BALL PLAYERS
Nj. u. Women Are Likelv
to Make ErrCrs if You
Watch Them.
CUP FOR WINNERS
And Numerals for Members
of Teams Who Play in
Two Games.
CUP FOR WINNERS

hci uiotiti III WHICH SHE DOdSteu OF
having been chosen as second base
man for the freshman squad and spoke
Familiarity of catching flies and knock
ing the pitcher out OF the box, she
was rewarded with a special delivery
reply protesting in horror against
such unladylike actions"
Then Madge had to explain that
baseball practice is part OF the regu-
lar physical training of the University
women and is required of them, just
like mental exercises in English and
the sciences. Moreover, being chosen
folks should feel proud of her athletic
prowess instead of bemoaning it as an
indication of deterioration in taste
Baseball is the latest development
in sports for the women students in
the universities and colleges. Ii was
introduced in the University of Mis-
souri, two years ago, but regular inter
| class games were first played last
year. There is cup for the winning
team and numerals are awarded to the
. girls who play in two of the inter
! class games.
Series Going on Now.
All the girls enrolled in physical
training, and that means all freshmen
and sophomore girls and about half
of the juniors and seniors, are requir
| ed to play baseball during the spring
season, except a few who play tennis.
After the physical training classes
have been practicing several weeks
the best players are chosen for the
class squads by the physical directors,
Miss Rebecca Conway and Miss Edith
Caverly. Then lot of practicing by
the squads follows, and the six in
terclass games are played just before
the close of school. This year the inter
class games are. being played now.
| The games are played according to the
regulation baseball rules.
Practice games are played every
day on the girls athletic field at the
corner of Hudson and Hit streets.
Baseball for girls is still sufficiently
new to attract considerable attention
from passersby. Young men who are
returning from their classes pause
moment to see how well the girls
hnu hau don't That
usually the cue for most of the girls
who are playing to be seized with an
attack of stage fright and tumble balls
and throw them where their team
mates aren't.
Many of the girls who play baseball
merely as a requirement and do not
try out for the teams do not under
stand the game and can always be
counted on to do exactly the wrong
thing, with most ludicrOus results. |
However, some really good playing has
been shown this year. The girls who
played on the teams last year and
the year before and have practlced at
home a little during vacation have
developed considerable skill. They
know how to stop the hot ones ana
throw them where they belong. They
are much better at fielding and bat /
ting than last year.
Don't Like the Mask.
An entire new set OF baseball equip
ment was bought for the girls teams
this year. 1t includes mask and
mitt and protector for the catcher,
mitts for all the fielders and supply
of bats and balls. The balls are the
Junior Spalding, which, though not
unite as hard as the variety used by
the big leaguers" and the University
champions, proved sufficiently hard
TO break a girls cheek bone in the
first class game last year. That' Dy
the way. demonstrated that the girls
really can throw swift balls.
The girls protest vigorously against
using the catcher's mask. Il cant
see out of the thing, and besides It's
too hot, and | cant get it on over my
hair" is the usual complaint. But they
are Obliged to wear it.
Considerable coaching is necessary /
to tell the girls when to run. not 10
ON, CORNERS and miss the bases, and |
TO tell the fielders where to throw the
ball.
Il sure do understand and appreci-
ate the mems games whole lot more
now since I've been playing" said one
fair freshman who didn't know the
difference between a foul strike and
stolen base when the season opened.
Will In Her StOOping May 2S.