New-York tribune., 1918-04-21
Fultz to Find
Fighters Wants
As to Baseball
Question Whether Men From
Trenches Prefer to See or
Play the Game

Do American soldiers in the war
zone prefer to have their baseball
played by the very best diamond ma
terial in the expeditionary forces-the
professionals, semi-professionals and
college stars in their ranks-or do
they lean toward sandlot scrub team
games with every man Of them play
ing?
That is a problem engaging the
deepest thought by Dave Fultz, for
merly Of Brown University, still later
organizer Of the Baseball Players
Fraternity, and now one of the prom
inent athletes who are going abroad as
7. NJ. c. A. physical directors.
The latest increment of these ath-
etic directors to be assembled for
starting to the Western front, there
to assist the soldiers in keeping in
physical and mental trim, received
their finishing instructions in Prince
ton. N. j., yesterday after a prelim-
mary two days. session at Garden
City. L. 1.
although practically all healthy,
normal American youths have played
baseball, they flock by the thousands
TO see the major league games by the
best professionals instead Of being
aontent with playing the game them
selves" said Fultz, between a course
in simple-games-that- at-soldiers-like-to-
play and an explanation of the differ
cnt kinds of camp overseas.
Need Nerve Easer
"The problem sover there is differ
ent, and I'm not going to have any
fixed opinion until I have studied the
situation and have sounded the senti-
ment. On this side the soldiers in
camps and cantonments have been
able to slip away to professional base
ball games, where they could yell, ap-
plaud and work off steam. But it's
soldiers over there coming back from
days in the trenches under fire.
"The Y. NJ. c.. A. men just back
from the front told US that when the
soldiers come out from their period
un9er fire they are half-crazy, they
don't want to go to the movies or any
thing like that, but they want to do
something-get stuffed club, play
some games, take vigorous exercises to
ease their nerves.
"If men don't want to see the movies
at such time, they probably won't
care to sit through ball game
played by mines picked from the eigh-
teen best men in two units or even
in one; they will want to get out
like they did when they were kids on
the sandlots and whale away at the
ball, hit, run and yell.
"The advice given US Y. M. C.. A.
$4 Aln
selves to the situation over there, and
that's what we are going to do. Our
object is to teach as many men to
play in their recreation time as pos
sible. If we can induce them all to
play baseball, no matter how poorly,
we will do so.
To Suit the Men
"On the other hand, if the American
boys accustomed to the best profess
sional playing, prefer to be spectators
and have the most skilled players pro-
vide the games. we can arrange that,
at the same time interesting all the
men in other less specialized sports.
"Will the prevalence of baseball
games among the American forces
overseas result in popularizing the
game in Europe? 1 think so. Ap-
preciating baseball is not essentially
American. See the thousands of for
elgn D0rn VINO flock to the games in
our cities, and for that matter the
number of star players of foreign
parentage. 1t already is popular in
Australia and Japan, so, who knows
After the war the sun may never set
on the bleachers Of the world"
Fultz and Fred Jacklitsch, the old
catcher, late of the Boston Nationals,
responding to the Y. Nj. C. AS cali
for men beyond military age who will
serve as physical directors, form the
most noted non-combatant battery
which is going to that zone of artii-
lery.
Sparrow" Robertson, sporting au-
thority, is going to lay out diamonds
and running tracks. Platt Adams. who
won American triumphs over Euro
pean opponents as an Olympic ath-
lete; Frank Quinby, old Yale crack
athlete, and Jack Magee, the Bowdoin
coach, who turns out great athletes.
are few Of the prominent sport stars
OF ten or more years ago who are don
ming the Y. NJ. c. A. Uniform with the
Red Triangle for the overseas work
which General Pershing considers 30
necessary. o0