The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-02-02
CRANTLAND RICE HAS MESSAGE TO
 CITIZEN PLAYERS

Grantland Rice, famous baseball writer and now lieutenant in an ar | tillery detachment, has an interest 1 ing article which is neither an alibi | for nor defense of the backwardness of major league ball players in en- ! listing in their country's service. It 1 is Rice's answer to a communication, | however from "A Fan' who has at | tempted a defense of players for al- legged stacking. This communication, written to Rice, in camp in the South, read as follows:
 "WhiIe it is undoubtedly true that fewer professional ball players, espec- -ially those of higher leagues, have entered the service than have gone from other sports, don't forget these things:
 '1. The professional ball player has only few years, comparatively speak ing, in which to pursue his vocation 10 or 12 at most. When he quits for a year or two this means he is through for good.
 "2. Any sort of accident or injury or wound in war will unfit even the younger players for further service. And once disabled, their professions are gone for good.''
 Here is the answer of Grantland Rice, interpret his views as you will:
 Big league ball players could be vast helps to regiments through the coming spring. If each company or batter had a big leaguer to build around when when spring brought back the annual call there would be greatly increased fun all the way through and inter-regimentaI con- tests would develop unusual rivalry.
 As it is, while there are many fair ball players in the service, there are only a few good enough to count in the way of aid.
 There was no great amount of base ball played in camps last summer, as the big dash hardly got under way in time. But while football f1ourished in the fall through any number of cantonments and such, there will be an even bigger rush toward baseball this spring when the chance is offer ed after a winter of drill and routine
 If every one could understand what army routine means there would be very little backwardness in contri- outing to funds intended for recre alton and play-such as funds to pur- chase balls, bats, gloves, masks, etc And at every possible chance it would be a fine move to have exhibition games between major league clubs slightly different, however. from the Giants-White exhibition at CamI Mills last fall, where the game soor degenerated into a joke affair. Army training is a big help toward physical condition and team play. Around mid-winter we saw two army elevens meet that had know1 only three days practice, although al of them had played plenty of footbal in their lives.
 They not only finished the game il good shape, but one eleven execute' : three forward passes that led di rectly to touchdowns where the teap play between the passer and the re ceiver was practically perfect, des pite the lack of practice.
 = These claims are true, but the, q should have no direct bearing on tn '. case. This war will never be wo! through each citizen first considerin ; his own personal interest or interests It may be true that abandonment o
 diamond activities even for seasol
 means the end of ball playing, bu
 has it occurred to the player tha
 the man donning khaki must forge
 there is to be any future beyond wha he en1ists for?
 To a certain extent the average bal player has been made selfish by con
 ditions. He knows that at or aroun N 34 years his profession is about ovel He knows that at this age he mus have accumulated his competenc!
 for thereafter his earning powe
 falls far off.
 al Certainly leading baseball stars c
 military age could have rendered in
 valuable service by way of exampl
 in enlisting. Many were unable to
 so through dependent families. Mos
 of the others were not willing to max
 the sacrifice, just as millions of other IS have vet made no sacrifice against tn
 big day of accounting. that walt
 ahead.