The Washington times., 1915-03-25

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va, March
25.-According to the poets, the
melancholy season of the year is
November, but what do poets know
about baseball? No more than
hog knows about Sunday. The mel
ancholy season of the year is April.
Ask any training camp phenom.
He will wise you up to the informa-
tion that the poets are bugs. In
ratio to April, the melancholy No
vember is hilarious. April is the
only real, genuine, melancholy
month.
Who ever heard of recruit get
ting canned in November?
Nobody.
Who ever heard of a rookie get
ting the buns rush in April?
Everybody.
Therefore, April wins the melan-
choly pennant, paws down.
1t seems sad and morose that, af-
ter running his legs off all during
the month of March, recruit should
be aimed for the exit just when he
feels that he has earned the privilege
of being beaned by high powered
and salaried big league twirler. But
such is the cost. The poor rocks
wear their legs down to the knees
shagging fungoes and ankle excur-
sions after wild throws, and then
just when they dream of major
league pay envelopes, the iron gate
is slammed in their countenances.
The poor fish are buoyed up and
spurred on by roseate hued visions OF
the major leagues, and when the roll is
called, they are among the killed.
wounded or missing.
The nearest they come to the major
league is a corporal league, or at the
get as high as the lieutenant league,
but very few. You could count EN- all
up on the thumbs of your left hand.
Ches indeedy. April can spot Novem-
Der two melancholies and beat her out
in the melancholy game by seven or
eight sobs.
cloud doesn't contain Zeppelin. Some
OF em have silver Innings. When a
rookie gets the old hardware tied to
him, If he is OF a philosophical bent OF
Uranium, he shouldn't overlook the tact
that he has lined his system with one
months worth OF big league eats.
Three SCOTS a day for thirty days
amounts to ninety meals, which isn't
to be sneered at ANY rook who has
scoffed ninety meals in the big leagues
has some considerable batting average.
Many a busher who broke into the pre-
mier circuit during the season only
lasted one meal in swift surroundings
before the manager FURNISHED up the
old can and annexed it to his retreat.
That's one advantage the training
camp phenom possesses over the MID
summer bloomer, They don't jerk the
league away from him so suddenly. Al
least he gets a chance TO step to the
plate. even II it is made of porcelain
instead OF rubber.
Ninety meals reposing snugly inside
the old belt are ninety meals. But at
| the same time, 1t seems harsh that a
hard laboring rook should get the air
| Just when he figured on reposing on
| the managers best Chipendale
That old song about the girl he left
| behind him will pale into obscurity in
comparison to the boys who will be left
| behind in April. When the ratt!Crs cut
! loose for the big cities next month tho
South will be dotted with abandoned
recruits. While the leaguers will be
| lower berthing it back to the big time
the poor, deserted rocks will be en-
| deavoring to break in on the three-a'
night wheel.
Everybody can't win, somebody has
got to shine the other birds shoes, but
| il certainly seems harsh that a phenom
who has given manager his best, both
in ball playing and eating should be
given the gate and be compelled tC
separate fly balls from mosquitoes In
' one of the sand leagues, while the more
fortunate regular Is Pullmaning II