The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-04-16
MEN, WOMEN
 AND THINGS

 love for baseball use the word ''iove advisedly in the place of like TOT liking is not strong enough to character ize the feeling which I have for the great American sport.
 With due apologies to those who hanoie the clubs, use the racquets, or KICK the pigskin, I unhesitatingly line up Wi'h those who get their best sport out oi chasing around the diamond. Say what you please. in my opinion the American game has the Scotch game of gof' the English game of football, land the Frehch game of tennis pushed off the field,
 
 played baseball from my chpdnood way into manhood, for rlung to it long after I left college and even used to go back from here in my young lawyer uayS to play with the home team in butauia when it had matches wi1h some of the surrounding towns. am only sorry that can't join my boys in, it at present. but I have lost my batting eye, anu am afraid that they might strike me out for they are both pitchers, and then | would lose my halo in their eyes, for | have filled them full with what star I used to be.
 Time was when [ used to keep up "i'h the names of the players in the ois leagues as well as in the Southern one' but for some years past | have not oohe so. As a matter of fact l have never eh- loved baseball here since we left the old grounds down near Mt. Slag, for some how Redwood Park is too big and too solidly built to be "homeV" Ike It useo to be when the spectators were cioser to the players and could overhear their talk.
 I suppose another thing has someth1ns to do with my preference for the old pail orounds for every afternoon the same old crowd met in the same old corner anu it wasn't merely the game put the so- ciabiIity of the thing which grlpped me The old bunch is scattered, and some are dead, and now at Redwood ieei lost in the big grondstand and liiise the old familiar faces, and am hhe stranger amongst strangers.
 went out Saturday afternoon to see Alabama play the Barons. It was rariiei a one sided and listless contest The Uni versty boys were not only outciassed put it seemed to me they got the worst eho of the decisions and somehow seemed to feel in the atmosphere the resentment that some of the professional playerS hold against college ones l may nave just imagined it, but it got on my nerves. Perhaps it was this state of mind which caused me to reprobate tthe action of Harry Swacna, the umpire, who towaros l the last of the game walked over to the dug out of the Crimson team and used his power to make Hugh Morrow, Bor- don Burr, Pelham Andersen and several other old time Alabama students climb down off the roof back into the ooxes' l I admit that he was within his rights 1 but in an amateur game he certainly won no friends among the fans, by his asser- tion of his arbitrary power. I hope he [aeted on his, own authority without any request coming from ''Moley.'
 | If the game between Alabama and the Barons on Saturday afternpon was bit slow, the one between the University l and Howard on Monday afternoon was | fast and furious. The Wearers of the Crimson and the "Baptists' got down to 1 business in the first innings and things l were happening right up to the close 1 of the ninth, for at the end of the eighth the score was tied and both sides i ready to scrap for the advantage. How ard had the advantage in playing on the home grounds, but the university won. l Now, I enjoyed the game in itself for | it was we'll played, and there was an abundance of hitting and base running; but, it was as much fun to watch the crowd as it was to keep Sn eye on the players The small boy with his irresisti- ble enthusiasm was on ha nd in droves, the college lads and lassies were also | present in large numbers, and the facul- ty were sprin1led here, and there amongst the visitors and alumni. The Howard "rooters"/ were far. in excess of those of the university boys.
 | An interesting and scientific work has been written on the Psychology of ! Crowds" and I once made a, study of the thing itself at first hand but will save inc telling of it for another tme The | thing I am just at present wondering 1 about is the form of hysteria which seizes upon the people of al college town when the home team is playing match It was much in evidence oG the grounds at Howard. It was just bubbling over of youth and a turning back of old age
 to the days of childhood.
 | was glad to see the diamond in bet ter shape, but it will take a long time to get rid of the rocks. l asked one of the professors why they didn't comman- deer the small boys of the community and make them chunk them away. He replied that if all were removed in good wealth CT. after a rain they had the power of seeming to spring up out of the
 ground, and they had almost despaired
 of getting rid of them. They are in the
 way in a baseball match, but they are a menace when foot ball is being played.