New-York tribune., 1918-07-21
twenty-five Thousand Fans
Witness Funeral of Base
ball in Gotham
By Charles A. Taylor

The funeral" of baseball in New
York City, if funeral be the proper
term, was held at the Polo Grounds
yeste rday afternoon. 1t was just about
the largest "funeraF' the metropolis
has ever seen. The obsequies were
witnessed by $4,000 men, women and
children. The pail bearers were pickle d
men from two organizations known as
the Yankees and the Browns.
The Yankees have their hcadquar-
ters in this town, while the Browns
hail from st. Louis. the Mound City, of
French origin and name. which was
builded long, long ago on the muddy
banks Of the Mississippi. So the burial
Of the deceased" had in sense an
international color.
A double barrelled ceremony was
performed before the remains" were
sunk in the Harlem River at 5:45 p. m.
AS was perfectly fitting, the visiting
Browns were given the place of honor.
They had the whole say regarding the
first half of the programme, and the
Yankees threw the last sprigs of hem
lock on the casket of baseball.
"5 to 2" was the mystic legend borne
by the Browns at the close of the first
nine numbers on the programme.
"5 to 81 were the figures on the ban
rer the Yankees carried to the grave.
1t was not a sad funeral" There
were some walls, weepings and gnash-
ings of teeth, but thanks to the Kaiser
death has indeed lost it's sting 1t is
fine these days to die for good cause
and "thrce cheers for the next man to
die" is no longer a fippant song So
there was considerable rejoicing min
gled with the gloom at the funeral
of yesterday.
Browns Win Opener
The death march" began at 1880
| when Slim Love walked to the centre
of the diamond and the grandson OF
box with boy friend and two bags OF
peanuts. Bill Evans forgot himself
and said "Play!" Force of habit had
made him ignore the fact that play
was not the word with which to start
funeral. But Bill being in supreme
command, there was no one to question
his choice Of words.
The Browns were not particularly
anxious to disturb the assembled
mourners, and the Yanks were even
less anxious. SO it was not until the
fourth ining that anything happened
In this frame, Joe Gedeon, who used to
be a Yank, worried Slim Love into
giving him pass. Smith thought such
an action an outrage, and tried tc
make up for it with three futile swings
aft "OlN Ozone
Leslie Nunamaker, another of those
ex-Yanks, hit to Love, who threw toe
late to force Gedeon at second both
men being safe. Allen Sothoron, al
though only pitcher, banged the bal
to left for a single that scored Gedeor
and Nunamaker. Sothoron was caught
of first on the relay and run down.
The contempt In which Love was be-
ing held by the visiting pallbearer.
cropped out again in the very next in
ming, when they sent another mar
home. This came about through ;
most woful muff by Caldwell of Sis
ler's fly and single by Ray Demmtt
still another of those ex-Yanks.
! In the sixth, the Browns acted ever
more unruly, and two additional tai
lies were chalked up on the blackboard
Gedeon singled to left, Smith beat
bunt, and Sothoron again met tn,
crisis with double to left. Slim Love
by this time was satisfied with hi
part In the funeral" and walked ou
Of the box In favor Of Hank Robinson
The Yankees shook off their grief II