The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-11-30

! drew the color line. Norfolk says he
| didn't want to have anything to do
| with other smoky battlers and that he
was only out for the scraps with the
white boys. But few enough of the
| white .serappers are willing to meet
| Norfolk and 1t looks like he'll be idle
quite bit of the time.
Babe Ruth, the Red sox hurting
star, had a close call a short while
ago when he was dashing about with
a young lady friend in his large and
elegant car. He tried to cross thor
oughfare while cars were approaching
from each direction and his machine
was caught between the two and COM
pletely demolished. Ruth was so for
tunate as to escape with only mum
Der of bruises and his companion was
taken to hospital, where IL was
found that no bones had been broken.
Can 1t be that college sportsman
ship is on the decltne2 Many indica-
/ tions point that way. But. as with the
tallest trees, said decay appears to
have set in at the top. Faculties,
rather than student bodies and ath-
letes, have been bitten by the hook
wtrm.
To begin with. it was the powers OF
the high places that prompted the
three greatest eastern universities
Harvard, Yale and Princeton-to hide
behind the cloak of patriotism as an
excuse for the 'so-called "informaP'
elevens of this season. But there is
Ito cloak of patriotism that can shield
the faculties of Pitt and Georgia Tech
for standing in the way of a meeting
between these two greatest elevens OF
the season, especially since such a
meeting could easily raise 100000 or
more for needed war charities.
1t takes more than large number
of ball players to win pennant In
the National league, The 1917 Pr
rates used more athletes than any
other club in the organization, but
they finished last Managers Gala
han and Bezdek employed the SER
vices of nine pitchers. five catchers,
seventeen infielders and ten outheld-
ers, a total OF fortyVone. Chicago
ranked next, using twelve pitchers,
six catchers, eleven inielders and
thirty -seven. The Phillies employed
the smallest squad having seven
pitchers, only three backstops, nine
infielders and five outfielders, total
of twenty-four. Cincinnati called up
on twenty mine men; Brooklyn,
thirty-one; New York, thirty-three:
ST Louis, thirty three, and Boston,
thirty-four.
1t Is not yet too late for these fac
ulties TO recant. The unexpected de-
feat of Michigan at the hands OF
Pennsylvania simply clears the at
mosphere and adds twofold to the at
traction. In all justice to sportsman
ship, aside from patriotism, such a
meeting should be arranged even IL IL
entailed the Inconvenience of an extra
period Of training.
When Miller Higgins settles down
to the task OF trying to develop
winner for the American league in
New York he will be associated with
many friends OF other days. His
chief scout will be Joe Kelley, who
was the first manager for whom
Higgins worked In the major leagues.
Joe was boss of the Cincinnati club
when the little fellow came into the
National league back in 1904. and
Kelley helped Higgins IN his fight
for major league berth. Now Joe
viii try To help him In another way
Two OF Higgins outhelders were
teammates OF the new manager be-
fore he succeeded Roger Bresnahan
as leader OF the Cardinals. Frank
Giihooley and Elmer Miller are the
who. drew tryouts with che
St Louis club. Most Of the Yankees
are strangers 10 Higgins. but he win
require little time to make every
player his friend.
Rogers Hornsby has served notice
on the st. Louis club that he wfIl
want q big increase III salary FOR
1918. and the Mound city fans are
sure % back him in bis demands.