Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-12-09
FAME AND OPPORTUNITY
OFTEN TEAM IN SPORTS
Good Example Found In Case Of Howard
Berry, Who Was Robbed OF Glory
nv Inferior Eleven

NEW YORK. December s.--Fame and
opportunity do 4 lot OF teaming in the
realm o: sports
where opportunity fingers. tam.
hangs around. and there arc instances
OF it too numerous TO mention.
There are few vivid examples. how
ever. and IL the case OF Howard Berry
The great Penn star, stands ont in bold
relief.
one Of the greatest PLAYERS Who ever
donred n:oleskins. Berry has won many
laurcls and much praise, bur during his
football career. which came 10 an end
with the closing Of the present season,
Berry has never been y member OF what
could be considered a really great foot
ball team. lie has never been on
team which ealloped off with the East
ern champion ship.
Had Howard Berry entered Colgate.
Harvard or Pittsburgh his football ca
sesr might have bee" thrice as brilliant
As it has been Eut because he entered
Penn, which has not had an eleven
which ranked with the greatest teams
in the country during his term At the
/. Quaker school, opportunity passed him
up. and football fame that might have
been his has been denied him.
Berry is great all-sround grid man.
lie is speedy, great opcn-fc!d runner.
handling the forward pass and great
kicker. lie was considered the ranking
fullhack Of the East h" = good many
critics last season. and the maiority
has favored him In every season he has
played. Yet the fortunes OF his team
were against his chances
And thus i, is that Howard Berry
VIII pass out of collegiate football
without having known the glory o,
II al,
has not the slightest debt against him.
lie owes her nothing. What glory he
has won he has fought for against AL.
worse conditions. and Il is TO he re-
GREETED that during his football career
with The Red aud Blue, Fem could not
have had RANKING team
!. SImifnr baseball Case.
Baseball has 4 similar case. and.
strange az it may seem. the PLAYER in
question wound up his major league
career in Philadelphia.
That player was Nap Lajoic There
was never sreater second baseman
than l.ajoie. lie was one OF the great
est FEEDERS the game has every pro-
duceG ard Ills wonderful batting record
us knowst tn e"err follower OF the game.
Yet after more than twenty wears in
the p2st!me. Larry l.aio:c was forced 70
pass gu, OF the major leagues as an ac-
i've p'sEcr without having PLAYED on
championship club: without having
shared i'll the glory OF winning pen
rant ar rlaying in a worlds series
Fame has not passed Lajeie up, for
he is one Of the most famous veteran
major league stars, yet he, like Berry.
owes nothing to fate.
In the 6stic realm there was re.
cent case where a great battler passed
out. denied the opportunity that right
ly should have been his.
Wien Lester Darcy died Of rneu-
MONA in Memphis. fate married fInis
10 career that was in the bud Darcy
vas refused the chance 10 show Amer
lca What he could do and There are
many who siiil contend he died Of
broken heart as much as anything
else. Had Darcy stayed in Australia
till the end Of the war: had he enlisted;
Mad he taken any other course than The
one which led him 10 the end Of the
trail. all might have been different.
lie would probably b. alive and
happy to-day had fate been jsut mits
kinder to him.