Evening journal., 1915-09-04
TODAY'S COLLEGES
BIC LEAGUE FARMS
Professional Ball Accepted
Calling of Many OF
Big School
MORE RECRUITS
COMING YEARLY

College trained baseball players are
being called upon more and more by
professional league teams to Ill their
ranks. and the college men are fast
losing the feeling of reserve which has
kept so many university stars from
embarking upon a big league career.
Standing out prominently as shining
examples of the new type of profes-
sional ball player are Eddie Collins,
of the White Sox. Ray Fisher, of the
Yankees: George Davis. of the Braves;
ieisler and Koob. of the Browns; Bah
fnQton and Robertson. of the Giants,
and host of others who could be
cited.
That the college man is destined 10
evield a big influence in the profession
,al game is due TO several important
aactors, the greatest of which is that
Nor the four years preceding his bow
fnto professional ranks he gets a train
lng in the national game from coaches
lFrho are selected with as much care
As the college selects a professor Of
Greek or mathematics. The other big
lfactor is that college baseball is get
Iting better every year. the competition
lis getting keener, and the men on the
feams play better baseball. AS proof
lof this last statement, it is offered
4hat the victories which college mines
have won over minor league teams are
convincing evidence that the calihre
lof baseball played IN the colleges Is
lnlready on a par with that of the mi
nor league teams. and oftentimes is a
great deal better. to wit: the victories
OF Brown and Yale among others over
some of the better minor league teams
last spring. and the really close games
which Yale played with the New York
Giants champions of the National
League. just after both teams had re-
turned from their spring training trips
IN the South.
There can be no doubt as to the
better coaching which college mines
are receiving now over that of 10 OF
90 years ago Nowadays It is the tried
and efficient ball player who is ap
pointed coach of the nine. and as his
assistants he has men who do nothing
but coach the battery candidates. and
sometimes, even. he has a special as
sistant for the inhelders. IL rs small
wonder that the average college MAJ
who has taken a course I'm baseball
under one of these modern instructor
does not pick up as much knowledge
of the game in his four years in colleg
as the minor Lacquer gets in severa
seasons. If he has inherent ability a
all IL is brought out by the coach. an,
he gets just about as much polishing
as he would I'm a minor league. AS
matter OF fact the college teams arr
today minor league teams i'm a sense
They have their preliminary training
in the South and they work up &,
their championship games with all tn,
care and a great deal more zeal per
haps. than the minor league ninl
works through the pennant race.
The calibre of baseball which tn,
college team OF today plays is not th'
slipshod, care-free play OF 90 year.
back. and this is a fact which Is born,
out by the closeness OF the scores II
games between big and small colleg,
teams alike. This trend has beer
growing more noticeable from year e
year although Yale with its wonderful
nine two years ago was an exception
IN that the Ellis ran up the score in
three games to Is runs. and this yea
made % runs In a game with Cornell
This is. indeed. a far cry from thu
record tally of SIS runs which Lafay
ette made against Lehigh away bacl
IN 1872. Remembering that the aver
age number of runs made by the Yal
nine last year was trife under sever
game. the fact that Pennsylvani
ran up a score of 90 runs against HaI
ward in 1894, and that scores up in tn
twenties were by no means uncommon
an the early SOS. seems to indicate tha
the quality of college baseball ha
improved. In fact. il is not 20 year
ago since Yale made 81 runs agains
the University OF Chicago.
The general improvement In colleg
baseball is not confined 10 any on
branch OF the game. for IL Is as motto,
able in fielding and base running as
Is IN pitching. Like all college sports
the game is played seriously. and a
though the average student who d.
sires 10 play is neglected. the one wh
has shown any aptitude for the spol