New-York tribune., 1918-02-24
Big Baseball
Squad on Job
At Fordham]

Preparedness is the slogan Of the
the foremost in every branch Of ath-
letic activity have been the first to
rally to the colors. The Fordham Uni
versity baseball management believes
that athletic preparedness, in so much
as it fits the students for army life,
approximatcs military preparedness.
With this incentive in view, Manager
Kinsley has combed the college for
baseball material. and squad OF
thirty-seven candidates has been Sc
cured for Bill Keane. the new Maroon
coach.
At many colleges turnout OF these
proportions on the opening day would
be considered quite mediocre, but at
Fordham a squad of this number was
reported yesterday afternoon and the
showing is looked upon as remarka-
Bile.
This view is justified when it is re-
lated that the average number OF can
didates in normal times is only twen-
ty-five and generally does not tally
beyond a score. This year the big
gcst part Of the athletes are in service
and the graduate schools, that have
usually contributed fair quota to
the athletic teams, have been practl-
cally unable to give any men on ac-
count of the heavy enlistments and
the intensive classes.
The material is far from being "star-
ry," and probably is below the average
OF other years. There are, however.
lot of ambitious youngsters in the
squad, and under the watchful eye of
Coach Keane a few diamonds may be
uncovered
Practice is being held in the gym
nasium every day, but owing to the
good condition of the diamond. the
players should get out on the field
earlier than usual, unless heavy snow
and continued cold weather should
knock the bottom out Of the manage
ment's plans. Previous to 1917 the
armory of the Second Field Artillery
was used twice weekly for indoor prac-
tice, and the spacious enclosure with
its tanbark floor afforded good work
outs when outdoor drill was impos-
siblc
In losing the services of such stars
as Captain McGinn and Sweetland,
catchers; Bulger Lowe, first baseman;
Bunny" Corcoran, at third base; Joe
Damico. the star second sacker; Griffin,
the shortstop, and Cantwell and
Gleason, outtielders, the Fordham nine
has lost not only good fielders and de-
fensive players, but also its main bat
ting strength, which, outside of the
iniield, will loom up as Coach Keane's
main problem.
The twirling department, with Bill
Finn and jim McQuade, of the 1917
nine still available, and several new
comers on the job, is apparently we'll
Martin, a former South Boston High
School player, and pitcher on the
Freshman nine last season, is also out
for 9 mound assignment. The others
are Glennon, Joyce, from AllHallows
institute; Rosati, of Brooklyn Prep, and
Cronin. of Xavier High School.
Le Fcvre, former star infelder on
the prep" team and last season on
the freshman nine. is looming up as a
Gulick, the Princeton Prep boy, who
played tackle on the eleven; Ward and
O'Donnell, OF Fordham Prep, and Tier
ney and Cantwell, of Albany High
School, are the other candidates for
/ catcher
Three players aspire to be first
basemen. They are Cassano, of Ford
ham Prep; Galligan, of the High
School of Commerce. and Halligan, of
Boston High School. Galligan won his
letter at football last season, and Halli-
gan was a backfeld substitute.
Other infield candidates are B. Dwy-
er, former prep" player, who may
land at shortstop; Joe Dumoc, star
end of the football team, and Colletti,
the fullback; Collins, from Wiliston
II. s., and Lucey, of Holyoke II. S.;
Gaspurdock, from Albany II. S., and
: Mckinn.
The candidates for the outfeld are
Captain Shankey and Eustace. of the
1917 ming; Abbott and McGrath, the
football players; White and Dineen,
of Xavier; Walters, P. Reilly, V. Reilly,
Of Fordham, and Kehoe, of Springfield