Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-08-14
SOLDIERS SORE"
: ON Big LEAGUES
Lieut.. Harry Mccormick
Says Feeling 'Over There"
Bitter Against Players
QUIT PRINTING SCORES

New York, Aug. 14.--Jt may surprise
the professional ball players of the
United States to know that the Amer
leans soldiers now fighting IN France do
not hold them in high esteem; that they
do not scramble for news Of how the
big league races are going, and that
they do not care whether Cobb and
Speaker and Baker are hitting 800 or
5000.
The fact that the ball players aren't
hitting in the big. big game across the
water Is the reason for this feeling, ac-
cording to Lieutenant Harry McCor-
mick, once big Lacquer, but now a
fighter, who just returned from the
shell-swept front.
Two weeks ago Monday Lieutenant
Mccormick was in action somewhere
In France" in a town mentioned in the
big headlines every day He is here
under orders, the nature Of which is
secret, but he hopes and expects to 60
back to the front as soon as his duty
on this side of the ocean is finished.
Likes New Work
The lieutenant was at the Polo
Grounds yesterday, looking husky and
fit. Harry always looked we'll in a
baseball suit, but he looks ten times
better than that In his officers uniform
He says he has gained twelve pounds
since leaving the front-line trenches.
THE feeling among the boys over
there seems generally toobe that the
ball players haven't acted on the level"
said the lieutenant THE soldiers feel
that there has been too much evasion,
too much hanging back, too much side
-, -
men, just as good, have given up paying
places and gone into the big game
That seems to them the only thing for
real men just now.
THE boys are generally incensed over
the statements they read to the effect
that ball players have sought work in
munition plants and shipyards. where
they can still keep on playing ball.
They regard that as ducklng, as sort
of lodging of the issue,
"Why, the feeling Is so intense over
there that the Stars and Stripes, the
soldiers paper, has stopped printing the
big league scores and standings. That.
II seems to me, ought to make the base
ball men, both players and owners. wake
up.
Should Have Volunteered
1.-THE talk of the soldiers is that the
ball players should have volunteered in
body and made up one big organiza-
tion and gone into the country's service
to fight right at the start That would
have been a great thing TO do.
THE soldiers like to play bail. They
are Interested in baseball but it's In
their own organization. You can't get
enough baseballs to go around over
there. Governor Tener sent me two
every week, and they were worth their
weight in gold. Tho soldiers get plenty
OF chance to play. but they want to play
1t themselves. They don't take any in
terest in men playing it here any more"
Lieutenant Mccormick met Colonel T.
L. Huston, part owner of the New York
Yankees, many times In France. He also
has seen Hank Gowdy, the famous
catcher of the Braves. who was one OF
the first ball players to volunteer.
Colonel Huston gave the baseball club
owners some good advice In his letter
last March about getting into the war
but they wouldn't take It," said the
lieutenant. Now the feeling against
the men in the game among the fighters
is very bitter"
Lieuteiant Mccormick was trained
at Plattsburg and has been In France
nearly eight months. He has been In
action several timea.