The sun., 1918-09-08
STAGE BALL GAME
UNDER DIFFICULTIES
With "Hand Made" Ball and
Glove, Saplings for Bats,
W" KEGS go to 1t,

PARIS, Aug. 81 (by mail) The great
est game OF ball ever played In the world
recently was pulled or at one of the
American base ports in France. SO far
as the degree of mechanical perfection
exhibited by the participants was con-
cerned It probably was one Of the worst
games. The fan whose appetite In
whetted to q feather edge BY worlds
series combats might have found 1t more
amusing than impressive, but neverthe-
less 1t was great contest. Also II
pointed the fact that when an American
| soldier wants to play baseball he is
going to play 1t in spite Of Hades and
high water.
Sixty thousand men were in this port
| the day the game was played an I'M
usual number and one that completely
swamped the existing athletic facilities
The Y. NJ. c. A., which furnishes most
OF the baseball paraphernalia in France,
| dug UP every last bat. ball and glove
that could be found. including some
gloves that even DOME would have
scorned. and DOME, you know. uses a
glove until there is nothing left but the
strap, and then rescues another that
somebody else Is about to throw on the
ash heap.
The soldiers weren't even half salts
fed after the Red Triangle huts had
been stripped Of everything that could
be used in a ball game. Those that
hadn't been lucky enough to get in on
the distribution decided that the small
matter Of having no equipment wasn't
going to stop them. II nobody would
lend them anywhere was none to be
bought--they would make some. They
did.
1t Was "Soms Ball."
The ball was fearful and wonderful
thing. absolutely guiltless OF any in
fringement Of the Spalding and Reach
patents. A round stone. picked up on the
beach. formed its core. Around this un-
yielding missile were wrapped some rags
and over this tire tape. Surrounding all
was piece Of canvas. roughly stitched
It was tho hardest and the "deadest"
ball ever used in competition. A giant
couldn't have hit It over 100 feet with
telegraph pole. and II took good lick
to drive II even as far as the pitcher
Still 1t was ball.
The heroes who volunteered to act as
catchers In this strange contest refused
to face the camoufiaged boulder without
some protection. and they made them
selves a glove. A couple OF old flannel
shirts served as the foundation for this
protector. Somebody cut up an old shoe
to provide leather for the face of the
Glove and this was sewn on by the same
genius that had achieved the canvas
cover for the ball. The strange con-
trivance had no fingers but was held in
place by binding II on the hands with
Irvine.
Nobody but the catcher boosted a
glove The inhelders and outfelders
used their bare hands, and the first base
man, who had to handle swift throws
without protection. never will be the
same again. Their dukes" now re-
semble prize Chicago hams.
For bats these ingenious soldiers cut
down some saplings and sawed them into
the desired lengths, shaping the handles
with jack knives. Every time the ball
was hit with one of these green sticks
the wood flew In showers all over the
inield, and the sap deluged the fielders.
No So Fastidious.
There. was one ex-leaguer in this
queer game, fellow that used to be
fastidious about his bats. He had to
have them made to order to his own
particular model from the nest seasoned
wood. Every time he got into hitting
slump he wrote letter to the bat fac
tory and complained about the inferior
materials and design OF the sticks being
furnished him. His admirers in the
bleachers would have had some trouble
in recognizing him as the young man
that picked up the first sapling that
came handy and threw out his chest
when he succeeded in hitting the ball
all the way to the shortstop.
For all the handlcaps in the way of
material 1t was an exciting battle and
the men seemed to have Just as much
run playing 1t as though they had been
provided with the best possible imple-
ments' They yelled, roasted the UNI
pire and argued among themselves just
as they used to do at home when things
were more conventional. And after IL
was all over the losers asserted that the
winners were lucky stiffs."
, The Y. NJ, c. A. Is doing it's best 70
make 1t unnecessary for American sol
diers TO demonstrate that one can play
baseball with nothing but enthusiasm as
starter, hut the army in France is
growing so fast that sometimes the
facilities at the Red Triangle's DISPOSAL
are overtaxed.
some time ago arrangements were
made with French factory to turn ont
bats OF very satisfactory quality for
the "Y," and recently good gloves bava
been made In another place here So
far the efforts OF the French TO initiate
the catcher's mitt have not been xlIt-
terins success. but they are persistent.
these Frenchmen, and some day thew
hope to make gloves that Ray Schalk
would be proud to call his own
GIANTS IN JERSEY.