Evening journal., 1918-11-25
BASEBALL Slang IS
POPULAR With FANS
So Proved by Investigation
of a Northern Univer-
sity in 1908
BLEACHER OCCUPANTS
FAVOR VERNACULAR

The triteness OF the baseball veTusc-
ulsr has been the source Of consider
abie comment among sporting writer's,
university professors. ministers OF the
Gospel. mothers clubs and other instl-
tuitons and individuals whose fore
most aim in life is the uplIft OF man
Kind. spiritually and mentally.
Columns have been penned by learn
ed men condemning the common use
OF what Is generally termed slang; ad-
ditionsi columns have been written
condoning IL. A universal agreement
on the subject has apparently long
since become hopelessly out OF the
question and more than 9s per cent. OF
the newspapers Of the country con-
tinue 20 serve out 70 readers reports
of the Aemirlcan national pastlme and
other stories pertaining thereto which
fairly bristle with the popular code OF
baseball writer's.
A movement was inaugurated durins
1908 by one OF the foremost OF the
northern universities TO ascertain the
justification for resorting TO slang
phrases, or a wholesale staggering OF
the Kings English In reporting base
ball. This Investigation was not
prompted by any special prejudice
against the use of slang in writing
baseball, but was due rather 10 a de-
sire to arrive at some Standardization
OF reporting the game which would
not offend and CRATE upon the finer
sensibilitles OF those who had con-
demned the use Of slang yet were suf-
flciently interested In the game 10
peruse the daily press for results.
After an exhaustive investigation,
this university announced that there
was nothing discovered In the baseball!
vernscular which persons frequenting
the stands and bleachers during the
season did not understand fully and
that the popular demand for the use OF
baseball slang in published reports was
unquestlOnably so great as TO preclude
its elimination.
And so from that day to this the
public has not been called upon 10 read
any further condemnation Of baseball |
reports as written by the overwhelm- |
ing majority Of sporting writers
throughout the good old L. :. a.
S0mD OF the, most familiar terms |
used in baseball reports have been /
handed down from generation TO gener-
alton and used so generally as 10 be 1
practically indispensable, yet the origin |
OF such terms Is to many writers abso-
lutely unknown.
The most commonly used OF such /
phrases Is one which almost invariably /
puts In an appearance al least once in
every baseball story and has a special /
significance for Texas baseball fans.
Reference is made 10 the term "Texas
Lacquer" There is perhaps not a |
twelve-yar- old schooiboy In the United /
States who has ever attended baseball /
games who does not recognize the
meaning implied by that trite phrase. !
He understands Immediately that /
some batsman has connected with the
Offering Of a pitcher and in doing so
has popped up a little short fly ball
which falls too far back 10 be captured
by the lnfleld and too far in 10 be
handled by the outnelder. To ask any
sporting WRITER OF the major league
circuits II he understood the play would
constitute nothing short of "a down
right insult, yet II Is more than prob
able that not one OF every ten Of these
experts on the game could give an ac-
curate explanation Of the origin Of the
phrase or even satisfy himself as 10 It's
real fitness
For the benefit Of any such writers,
likewise interested baseball fans, the
explanation is herein set forth:
After the close Of the Texas League
season Of 1883. Bill Joyce, Emmett
Rogers and Arthur Sunday, a trio NJ
Houston club swingers who had
wrought havoc and devastation TO the
hopes Of every pitcher in the circuit,
were sold 10 the Toledo club OF the
American Association. II was little won ,
der that the three HoustOnlans took
good care Of their baseball regulations
after going up 10 the big show be-
cause they were OF the old type OF !
aggressive ball players, so scarce In {
this day and time as to have become \
practically extinct. They went up with I
their regulations as terrific slugssrs /
them and their arrival in 7
black headlines. :
The Texas recruits were her1'ded as
a trio OF terrible tapping gladlatoIs, (
and the pitchers Of other clubs OF the
American Association were more or less
as to just what the
youngsters would do against big time
hurlers. They felt them out rather
cautiously, and the advisabllity Of such
a course was soon apparent. II
None Of the three hit the ball Ike
the great Honus Wagner or the classy
Larry Lajoie, or the renowned Frank
Baker Of later years. They were NOT
hitters Of that sort. But they did get
on the bases and they did It by ait.lns
safely. Their blows, however, were
not Of the "fence-bustlng,' screaming
liner variety. They were the sort Of
tidy little bingles labeled "onc base
only" such as are now known as Texas
eaguers.
IL was in game al Syracuse shortly
after the Texas combination Joined
Toledo that Pitcher O'Brien, after sun
lay, Joyce and Rogers dropped safe
hts over the outfeld, roared forsl
All them durn chumps can do IS 70 hit
1ut them little old dinky Texas
ealguers."
A general laugh. went up from the
bench. and the remark soon reashed
he press box. The reporte,s hopped
)n II with a vengeance, and the phrase
Tss lived and thrived from tina, day 10
his. Joyce. Rogers and Sunday con-
.inued in service for many years mud