Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-07-26

town. The war correspondents seized
upon the incident of the goat and the tin
can and made 1t good for anywhere from
two sticks to a whole column. Hardy
was angry. He reproved one Of the re-
porters.
But didn't say all that stun" he
persisted. "It makes newell, ridiculous
1t isn't fairl"
Then that reporter told his fellow work
ers that the new outfelder was a rube
who objected to press notices and had
threatened to punch the head of any cor
respondent who took his name lightly be-
tween the bars of his typewriter.
Hardy was already "in bad with sew
eral members of the team; he was now
'1n bad" with the press.
"If he drops dead on the field Wen
print 10 lines about him." said the press
gentlemen. otherwise. nix!"
So 1t happened that all the home fans
knew about Hardy was the incident OF
the goat and the tin can. 1t was not an
ausplcious introduction.
The season opened on the home grounds,
and Hardy, playing a sun field to which
he was unaccustomed, dropped a fly ball
which he should have "caught in his
teeth" as Callahan reminded him, and
the error lost the game. This was un-
fortunate, for a certain clique of leather
lunged rooters on the right-feld bleachers
decided that the new man would not do
If a dozen baseball fans select a fixed
idea and their voices hold out they can
do almost anything. By the end OF the
first game 200 regulars" were after the
new right fielder, and 1t pleased them to
see Hardy resented their efforts
ANY ball player knows what 1t means
to have enemies in the homo town. He
expects TO get the worst of It on the road,
but when he performs at home he ex-
poets loyal support and encouragement
One hundred hostile rooters in the home
town can hound player out of the club,
and II has happened in almost every city
In the league. and will happen again so
long as performers are susceptible to
outside influence.
The constant chorus Of ''Tin cant Tin
can" got on Hardys nerves and worried
him. Every time the ball was hit in his
direction there went up a sarcastic
chorus. The boy was unused 10 this sort
of treatment. In the town where he had
previously played he had been somewhat
of local deity. A bad cigar had been
named after him, and small boys fol-
lowed him about the streets. He had
never been a grand-stander. but 1t is
one thing TO play ball before a friendly
crowd and quite another TO do ones best
when that best brings only Jeers and
abuse.
Hardy began to make inexeusabls er-
rors. He mislald his batting eye and
swung wildly at bad ones" Opposing
pitchers quickly diagnosed his case.
The busher is swinging at 'em." they
said.
oYeranxious, and fretted until his nerves
were raw, Hardy played like a school
boy. lost his stride entirely and brought
down upon himself the wrath OF those
stern censors OF the press who edit the
most interesting page OF the paper The
sporting writer's began to howl for his
release. Hardy wouldn't do, they said,
and they said II In headlines.
Wise old Ben DAILY, manager OF the club
and team captain as well, great infisider
In spite OF a dash or gray over his tenn
pies, tried TO put some heart into the re-
eruit.
you've let the knockers get you 60
ing" he said. Didn't they chase Dillon
out OF Louisville years ago, and didn't
he play three times as we'll as soon as
he struck e new town. There wasn't
anything the matter with Dillon, only
they got his goat, and they kept IT. There
isn't anything the matter with you. either.
Hou'N hit your stride one OF these days
ana show these flannel mouths what a