The Washington times., 1917-12-09

ton. W. Va, catcher and pinch hitter
extraordinary In his college days at
his State university. Sat" broke
loose at q recent meeting attended
and gave us equal parts Shakespeare
and equal parts baseball. He is known
as the catcher at West Virginia who
could take a pitcher who had nothing
but a straight bail and a prayer and
bring him through on the winning
side all because of his "line" behind
the bat
This particular evening Fat" spoke
tellingly Of his fence-busting pinch
hitting.
But" spoke up one OF the mem
bers, carefully scrutinizlng Fats"
broad expanse, "But, could you run
after you hit 'sm. FatT'
Gould 1 run" came back Fat"
with ready repartee, ''why, man, I had
to turn sideways to keep from flying"
Sol Makes Confession
This column has recently been
guilty OF rank camouhage. About
three weeks ago It ran a story about
lighting spirit In football and In this
connection had an interview with
"Humbo" StIehm, the Indiana Univer-
slty coach, in which It gave Indiana
and Stiehm credit for beating the
Tufts team last fall. Stiehm did give
the interview, but Stlshm never said
his team beat Tufts. am the rank
culprit who did that and I have no ex-
cuse to offer the public except to say
that to err Is human. Tufts won the
game from Indiana 1910 and was well
satisfied with the result In view OF
the circumstances.
In this game Tufts was without
the services OF its regular quarter
back whose great work against Dart
mouth this past fall enabled Tufts
to win 27-o- Tufts was not at all
pleased with the Indiana affair last
year." writes a Tufts man to me,
"and the trip will not be repeated.
Every time we rushed the ball the
Indiana rootsrs kept up such a din
that Tufts could not get her signals.
Indiana's roofing was more danger
Gus than her football team"
Therefore. hereby take off my hat
to the winning team-Tufts-and take
this opportunity to apologize for my
better at my hands than she got and
the mistake was entirely my own.
Let me add that shall never deal
with unintentionai camouflage again.
swors off on the intended variety
fourteen years ago to the day. And
now-unintentional camouflage-nsv-
er againl
All-Amerfcan II Camounage.
About the finest kind OF camoufage
pulled annually in football Is the ALL
American team. 1t was invented when
Hinkey. as a player, was pulling the ale
in Yale and long before Percy Haughton
ward II once was pronounced "Havard,"
you know. Since the Crimson began
playing football they have rolled in a
long r. for rough and ready. II sounds
real and American when so worded.
can't figure out this All-American
stun either during or after war and 1
never could before. Right now. as I
write these lines after about threa
months with a squad OF twenty
seven football players am un-
able to pick the best eleven off
hand. I have to study for a long
time. Jesse Harper. OF Notre Dame,
Is right this instant working over the
same local problem. Yet others can 20
right out and without seeing teams play
or individuals perform say right OF
who's who in football AL OF which
goes to show that some Of US coaches
are certainly camouhaging on the Job.
And our friend Grantland Rice is
going even farther. He's picking the
best eleven of all time. I haven't
much money and ! have very poor
football Judgment because / never bet
but when Grantland gets his Job fin-
ished and Walter picks his team. In
formal or otherwise, II he does pick
one this year. I'll bet them $40 each,
winner to pay all to the Red Cross,
that Pitt or Georgia Tech can lick
Camps All-AmericAn team on one
Saturday and Rice's All-American
team the next. Am I right, reader?
I am.
tCopyriEht, 1911. Sol AetsEer.)