The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1918-09-17
BASEBALL FUTURE
IS ENCOURAG|NC
Local Critic Enlelvors to Impress
Upon the Minds OF the Fans HOW
the National Game Looks.

Many baseball fans who have attained
the degree of buEdum wherein ~
Cdpb's batting average and Grover
hlcXand"r'S string of victories are the
only things worth talking about are
worried about tho future Of IN" national
game. They arc tossing f"v"rI$lily on
their pillows at night rs ono hif ie'-
gurr after another either cnllStS. -
drafted or makes Il heroic dash TO the
Sh:pyards To escape either. lh"y l'a'
THAT after the war when tho boys com"
marching home some OF tn" stars Will ID"
minus an arm or Il leg or something ~
tho sort and that there will be- nobody
70 replace them. All this worry is ah-
sol,Itclr unvsa rrautrd however. and IN"
fans should look Il; the bTEh! side OIL
The situation.
Baseball is not only going 20 hold It's
own,in spitc OF the temporary INTERRUPT
lion Of the war. but is going 10 come
back stronger than ever. Perhaps ai"rc
will be more players and fewer spccta-
tors than there used to be- after the
Boche has been subdued. but the quail
ity Of play is not going I" detcr'oTa'"
Inst look abroad. where tho game mas
never been played save on lew "c-
casions. Take Franco. for example,
men arc playing the gam" that n'N'.
ear,d for il before the war started. ana
AFRO getting SO devoted tn il while tom
porarily detained behind the INES tnat
they are playing under the most ina"S-
n;cious circumstances. The greatest
e,,mo nf ball ever played in tn" worlo
Gas recently pulled off at one OF IN"
american base ports III France. Inc
fan whose appetite is whcttcd 70 "
feather edge by the worlds series COM
bats might have found It NOR" anus
inc than impressive. but II ncvrrtheltSS
was q great contest. Although ti1tH
! clash did not have any championship
hearing upon II. yet II poih1co th''
moral that when an American Hoiolf'
wants 10 play baseball he is gong |"
play i, in spite Of hadcs and hlgh wa
| for. And to make things LOOK r's
about sixty thousand men attenoeu 1"'
! contest which proves beyond sHa''o"
! Of doubt it's many outstanding H"h'
ti.s and unrounded popularity. From
wha, can bc learned the men over
tbcro" arc making use Of every bit OF
! ,,ro,be-n,lia rrocurable and worn
out gloves. old bats. uscd uniforms arc
n,,t i,,o use to accommodate the num-
be-lcss boys who must devote s"nlo VI
| ,b.ir time TO honest to- goodness rrcrc-
alton With this Increased interest
abroad and the fact that tho boys VIII
como back with spirit Of victory ana
everlasting peace. baseball Will PICK W
and should be even better than hereto
fore.
The local prospects will not b" cite0
bur should they ba boosted IN oth''
! olnces there is every reason to nelleFe
that the Ohio valley will come pacH
Stranger than ever and tho past poor
season forgotten. Although 1t Is ions
way off again before the baseball sea,
son start again. the game will be played
in the warm countries almost the en-,
fire. winter. and with the coming o'
spring it. will BE- hcreahouts aga"
| Without baseball the country would lose
the most popular of all sports and un,
loss all predictions fall through there
is no sign Of the faVorite sport losing
any prestige.