The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1918-07-24

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st don't know much about base
bau.T said Benny Mensh, the four
teen-year-old baseball nut, .''but what
I do know I've learned from watch
ing the big leaguers play. I think
that's the best way, too, don't you?
II a player makes a mistake. and
you're watching it, you can then see
what he should have done
yes, I read all I can about base
ball and baseball players and then 1
come out TO the games to see the
pIaysfs Tread aboutJdo what read
they do. maybe when get bigger
and stronger, can play on Mr.. Metz
ler's team at Central"
Benny is a hopeful cuss, too, re-
garding the. future OF baseball He
thinks it will always go on and on
and on
.. "If they stop. the leagues now" he
remarked, -and then start up again
after the war, the players will be
just the same boys that I am now.
won't they? / mean that many boys
who are now fourteen years old will
be in the big leagues then when they
start all over again"
Benny unused a while and then
said, Gee, I'd like to be big and
strong enough to play In the big
leagues. wonder what I'll read
about when they stop baseball"
And. all over this great broad land
OF ours are thousands just like Benny
MenSh; thousands of youngsters and
thousands Of oldsteTs, wondering
what they'll read about when the big
leagues go out Of commission. And
fhaHan ra
strong men, being tried in the fur
mace of war, who will wonder what
they'll read about when baseball sus-
ponds, IL It does suspend.
where Benny Loses.
You'll notice that we took" Benny
to Sundays game. That's where we
lad something on Benny, for we lived
in a time when nobody took four
teen-year-old boys to major league
games. But we kids saw the games
Just the same. Couldn't keep US out |
Doubtless, like many OF my read
ers, I was one of the "knot-hole |
gang" and the fence climbers" and
the morning shaggers." It took the
same love OF baseball as shown byl
Benny Mensh to be a member of the |
army OF "shaggers-"
Reporting at the ball park at $50 |
IN the morning, We chased line drives
and looping flies until the big
Ieaguers grew tired. Then we
cleaned up the bleachsrs, removing /
Every scrap OF paper and peanut /
she'll. Then we loafed behind first
base or third base, keeping out OF
he groundkeeper's way lest he take
4 sudden dislike to our looks, until
he fans came trooping in. Then we
vat among the men and rooted for
he home team
Lunch7 Not a bit We didn't care
much even whether we had any din
ler.
All. What An Experienced
Once. recall. lay on a six-inch
plank, surrounded by water, beneath
he grandstand Of the old Boston Ma
.IonaI League band box. with my eye
Slued 10 a knothole Immediately be-
lind Marty Bergen. or was It Fred
AXE or Jack Ryan? That's some
lays back. and I'm not positive who
vas catching. But know Kid
Nichols was pitching.
Reporting to -Old Man" Haggerty,
me Of the most famous of old-ume
eepers, the information came
hat the morning shaggers" were
III mustered In. But the fence was
randy. Barbed wire tore hands and
hort trousers. but what was that for
IN opportunity to slip In under the
where barrels and boxes
md things were kept7
To keep out Of sight OF Haggerty
md his cruel henchmen. IL was Alb
iolutely necessary to crawl into the
darkness right up against the front
vail OF the grandstand. The plank
vas discovered. showed out across the
iirty water and found just big
,nough for . small boy intent on
ieeinE the baseball game.
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