The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1917-01-30
.BOBTHAYER'S
Sporting Gossip

Penn just can't seem to stand pros
perity.
II is refreshing to see signs OF real
baseball appearing in the sport pages.
tales OF releases. OF coming stars
signing up. of training camps and
such. The fans like just that sort of
stuff. Really. Old Winter is hobbling
on a crutch, not roaring about in full
vigor. The sun is daily a bit warmer.
Somewhere the grass Is waking UP,
answering the call OF Mother Nature,
who says: Up, up with you, for the
ball players are coming" We must
wait but a little longer. Don't be-
Iieve IL? Well. look at the sport
pages.
Frat or no Frat, old Clark Grit
nth keeps right on preparing for his
busy season.
Al Mccoy, American middleweight
champion, has agreed to meet Les
Darcy. Much water has gone under
the bridge since the Australian ar
rived in New York, and f. is more
than likely that his bout with Mccoy
will prove a financial fiivver. McCoy's
lack OF aggressiveness has ruined his
reputation. Boxing fans know well
that the Brooklyn man will play the
turtle game for ten rounds and that
Darcy will have trouble making a re-
spectacle showing in ten rounds.
Darcy and Dillon or Darcy and Miske
would be the ideal match for New
Workers, but the australians man.
ayers are taking no chances Of
humping into a wallop.
II he isn't careful. some manager
will sign up Dave Fultz for his comic
coaching.
This spring a new departure will
be made by the various big league
ball clubs. For years major league
clubs have come to HickviIle and
played the home team. Usually the
!IickviIIe team has been playing three
az four days and has been in no shape
20 combat a big league club which
las been working a month or so. The
~esuit has been q nightmare for the
fans and Just about that for the Hick-
Vile team. In many cases, that series
OF spring exhibitions has injured the
EickyilIe teams league games for
several weeks. This year big league
teams will meet each other in Hick-
willie. The question is-how many
uIskyiIle fans will play money TO see
major league baseball in March?
That nineteenth.hoIe golf tourney
at Augusta, Ga, has come to merci-
full finish.
Unless fractional troubles in base
hall are settled soon, the 1917 season
threatens to be another "bloomer," SO
far As financial profits are consid-
cred For three years the fans haze
muIIod over columns OF legal phrases.
charges and counter-charges. Now
they are hungry for some real base
bsII nv baseball players. 1t is ap-
nsrent that the players fail to realize
the trend of the times, but many of
IN. ,nagnates are in the same boat.
II Is a certainty that 10 the season
onens with conditions as they are
nouy the fans Will quit both sides.
Msybe Les Darcy is "too proud to
fight"
u.re's an interesting sidelight on
amateur sport. Tom Rooney, national
amateur single sculler, may be de-
cIared a professional because he's an
attendant at one of New York cityS
pubIic Fairgrounds. He draws 800 a
month for keeping the youngsters
from nghting apd helping them to
enjoy the swings and the sand piles.
Percy Haughton, a professional foot
ball coach, drawing a large sum Of
money for his knowledge OF the gf1d-
iron sport, reaches the semi-:inals in
the amateur racquet championships.
What's the idea OF this amateur stutf,
anyway -.. {