New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-09-03
Harding Tells
Cubs One-Man
Team Can't Win
Senator Declares u. S. Star
in Washington Fumbled
in Domestic Affairs and
Then Struck Out at Paris
Says Squeeze Play Failed
American Senate Had Ball
at Plate When the League
Outfit Tried to Score
From a stan correspondene

Outfit Tried to Score
From a Stor Correspondent
MARION, Ohio, Sept, 2.-No one man
can win pennant, either in baseball
or the conduct of government, Senator
Warren G. Harding told the Chicago
Cubs, who came here today and won
an exhibition game played with local
team for the edification Of the nom
inee. The Senator tossed the first
three balls in the game. One Of them
was called a strike by a charitable
umpire.
ut Is my observation that the ma
tional team now playing for the United
States played loosely and muffed dis
appointingly in our domestic affairs
and then struck out at Paris" said
Senator Harding.
The semicircle of Substituted, sun
burned young men grouped about the
Harding porch waved their new fall
hats and yelled with enthusiasm and
complete understanding.
LAS spokesman for the Republican
party I am urging team-play govern
ment on the home grounds, with all
the home fans behind US, and team play
when we represent America in the
all-the-world series," continued the
Senator. "There are too many men
batting above 800 to rely on one hit
ter"
Grover Alexander, Cub pitcher, here
showed his appreciation by giving
Charley Herzog, second baseman, a
mighty clout on the shoulder.
Baseball Has Helped People
The Senator said:
II pay to you my tribute to base
ball, because l like the game just like
every other real American. 1t has been
in the blood for over a half century,
and it has helped us as people. Of
course, there has been a vast improve
ment since the early game, but 1 am
sure it is not reactionary to remind you
that you still try to hit them out, and
the big thing is to reach the home
plate. There are progressive ideas,
but it rcjoices the average crowd of
rooters to note am old fashioned Tinker
to-Evers-to Chance.
III like the tension of tight game.
1t is great to be rooter. 1t is fine
to see him in recognizing a great play,
but l like his partisanship. That is
| the explanation of baseball popularity.
We are all partisans of some team.
am sure l rejoiced as much as Garry
Hermann when the Reds 'copped' last
year. l feel the same way in big ma
tional matters. like to think of
America first. want our country to
float the championship pennant in the
contest for human achievement.
"You can't win ball game with a
! onc-man team. | like pitcher who puts
the ball over and trusts his felders to
play their stations. Maybe it is old
fashioned. but I am for team play. l
am opposing the one-man play for the
nation. Too much tanning out, too
much unpreparedpess. National I'M
preparedness for war cost us many
precious lives and endless billions in
waste. and unpreparedness for peace is
costing billions more and holding US in
anxiety and uncertainty.
The Squeeze Play" Failed
"And I am advocating something
more than play according to the
rules. The rules in the supreme
American game are in the Fed
cral Constitution and the umpire is
the American people. There was q
meeting Of League officials where the
contending team tried a squeeze play
and expected to score-six to one
against the United States. But the
American Senate was ready with the
ball at the plate and we are still flying
our pennant which we won at home
and hold respected throughout the
world"
Luncheon was served for the ball
players at the Marion Club. Senator
Knox, of Pennsylvania, had luncheon
with Mr.. and Mrs. Harding
At the baseball field, the property of
local club in which Senator Harding
formerly was a stakeholder and per-
haps the most enthusiastic of Marion
fans, the Kerrigan Tailors, scmi-pro-
fessionals, aided by battery loaned by
the big league, played against the Cubs.
Senator Harding and a visiting dele
cation Of school teachers occupied
most of the grandstand and near
ly a third Of Marion's population
When the Senator entered the stand
there was a cheer augmented by the
horns and sirens Of several thousand
automobiles.
Senator Has Stamina, Anyhow
The Senator, in a blue coat, white
flannel trousers and a straw hat, pro-
cecded to warm up with Grover Alex
andcr However good fan he may be,
the Senator is not big league ball
player. He gamely caught barehanded
all the balls tossed his way until one
Of the players gave him glove. He
threw with such vigor that his hat
bobbed around on top of his head and
paid little heed to the wild yells from
the crowd.
When play was called Senator Hard
ing handed his hat 20 one Of the Cubs
and took his place in the pitchers box
The Kerrigan Tailors were at bat, re-
/ splendent in new white flannel uni
forms that made the gray travelling
uniforms Of the Cubs look shabby by
contrast.
Senator Harding carefully wound ur
and threw the first ball. The umpire
called a strike. The batter looked
hurt, but said nothing. The nominee
threw another. This went about four
feet outside the plate and within foot
Of the ground. Senator Harding was
taking no chances Of "beaning" the
batter.
"Ball!" called the umpire.
The nominee wound up once more
The ball curved out of reach of the
batter, and Senator Harding, followed
by such cheers as only Babe Ruth or.
dinarily gets on bali field, retired tx
the grandstand to enjoy every play O.
the to l game that was lost by thu
Kerrigan Tailors.