The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-04-02
Cobb, Speaker, kauff, Hornsby, COL
Inns, Jackson and Others Help
ing Soldiers in France
Play Ball.
NEED MORE EQUIPMENT
Calls Coming From France All the
Time For More Athletic Equip
ment Which Keeps Sol
diers in Trim.

son, Hans Wagner, Benny hau1I,
iIajote. Home Run Baker. Eddie Col
Inns, Rogers Hornsby, GaVvy Cravath,
Larry Doyle and Babe Ruth are going
to do their bit this summer with the
American troops in Lorraine. France,
and they won't have to leave the big
leagues to do it, either. Though
they are in America they Will be bat
ting as heavily against the kaiser as
If they were on front line trench
throwing hand grenades or welding
la bayonet.
The big leaguers have loaned their
names to a series Of 10000 swatsttcks
which are now on the way to the
American front as a part Of the regu-
lar Y. NJ. C. A. athletic equipment for
the soldiers in France. Announce
nent has Just been received here
from the national war work council
OF the Y. NJ C. A. that an entire
car load OF ball bats left Kentucky
tust recently for an Atlantic port.
1t is to be hoped that these 10000
pill smashers for the boys "over
there" will not be found by a Ger
man Sub" and sent to the bottom
of the north Atlantic. for baseball
means more to the soldier boy than
almost anything else-and it's one OF
the things that is giving him the Will
to win. too These bats, twelve mod
els of them named after the famous
long distance hitters, are expected to
prove Of trem endous assistance to the
boys from the United States when
they are ready to dent the lines OF
the enemy and make the bst showing
| in the box score.
Ty Cobb leads the models in pop
hoo ~ "a American
league for so mauy yea : in the
/ American league for so many years
| in the batting averages. Speaker,
Collins, Kauff and Jackson are repre-
scented by thousands of models which
bear their names. The others all
have their uses. For instance, Babe
ruth, as dangerous to opposing pitch
ers as he is to opposing batters, has
Numerous followers hecauce although
be is without the benefit Of being in
The game every day. he Is there in
a pinch. There never has been a
var in which the pinch hitter who
can produce is so much in demand.
The bats which are now going for
wald are part Of an order placed in
January. when hundreds of thous-
ands OF baseba,,s, mitts and fielders'
gloves, chest protectors. masks and
shin guards were called for by the
7. M. C. A The boys in the trenches
must have their relaxation from the
grim business of war Not many
miles from where the shells are
shrieking, troops in the rear lines Of
defense may be hearing the whistle
of a line drive as II speeds from the
bat and sends the out-fielders in mad
pursuit.
Insistent calls come frequently
from France for athletic equipm ent,
and then more equipment The boys
can not forget that the major leaguers
are Just ironing the kinks out in the
southern training camps, preparatory
to the drive for the pennant. There
are many league players overseas.
They realize the value of spring train
ing as preparation for the great Of
fensive.
Other items in a recent shipment
OF athletic paraphernalia for the Y.
NJ. c.. A. were: $3.50 baseballs;
900 masks; 1900 chest protectors;
5000 mitts, and 1900 indoor base
balls and 200 indoor bats. These
orders will no doubt be duplicated a
number OF times before the year has
ended, for the equipment is used so
constantly that it wears out rapidly
and must be replaced. To meet the
demands for soccer football alone,
$500 balls were specified and an
extra supply of 1900 bladders was
provided Army soccer under the Y.
NJ. C. A. directors now includes l75
men on a side, with four balls in play
at the same time.