The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1920-09-01
ON THE SCREEN Of SPORT
By Hugh S. Fullerton.

baseball fans arc worse than child
ron in asking questions. They rather
niouc 4 baseball writer because SO man!
OF the questions they ask reveal the rae!
that they know SO much about tne SpoI
the writer must be certain OF MS iuc's
before trying TO answer.
You CaEnont put anything over or
tho fans once. n few years ago ha"r
a careless mistake IN answering qurs-
ton and IN two days. received more INA"
a hundred call downs from lanS IN"
knew better. | received dozens OF letters
every day from fans asking questions
Most OF them want answers 10 decide
BEES and II has been my policy never
10 decide bets because betting on phsc
ball is all wrong. Fully fifty per cent nt
those who write wanting bets dtciheG
ara chcaters. trying no win on technicaI
points For instance. | got tangled
few wears ago in Il famous controversy
bet had been mad% ihat faiil"N
would score twice as many runs IN
game as ST. John would. The score was
/ TO n The writer demanded to know
whether one was twlc" nothing. Fortu'
nately had friend who is protes'
sor OF mathematics and ! put II up u
him and be presented me WIN won
dcrrul mathema teal puzzle. which prov
cd cbnclusively thai on" is twice noth.
ling or then times nothing. or almost
anything else. That stirred up some
other mathematical sharps and the con-
trOSCrSS RACED TOT weeks.
Praise when You Agree.
MANY Of tho questions asked could
he answered by casual consultation
OF the good record books. but those
are noE the Interesting ones. 4 great
many merely want nv judgment MS to
certain things and certain players.
Answering that kind OF baseball qu"S'
ton is hard They always remind me
OF an Incident in Chicago number ot
years ago. There had been disputed
play in tn" game and quite an argu,
mcnt although the case was plain ana
the umpire was correct I climbed into z
street ear and 50; with red faced
angry home fan who thought the home
team had been robbed. Three or touT
times he demanded TO know what |
7 neglected to answer but WREN IN
sisted | remarked:
The umpire was correct"
III bet YOU ten dollars he wasn't
he challenged.
"You'rc afraid to bet" he roAred
"Hcrr'S ten dollars that says you re
WRONG"
He attracted the attention Of the en-,
tire car. and finally irrttated me until
I said:
but III take IT. Who'll We leave ii to-
We'll leave It to Fullerton" he said
whatever he says goes
rook out my baseball writer's card
opened i and showed him my name
For an instant he blinked, then ne roar
ed louder than ever.
Say" he yelled so everyone could
hear. you're he rottencst baseball
writer in the world-and Away,
thought YOU knowcd something"
II IL thas way IN Answering questions
Of Judgment. Ir your id@ happens to
coinclde with that Of the y luirer you're
n world heater. II not. you'as'a bum: -.
However I usually answer that kind
because they raise such queer problems
There is an accumulation on hands no"
j. T. NJ. OF Boston writes
"Whn. is yCur opinion Of Babe Ruth
as an outfeider" I claim he Is good
fast outficledr and ground rorercr. III
friend claiming that he Is not fast
enough for the outflrld"
Evidently the friend has not studied
Ruth closely this season. As to his
spe"d. that is a comparative quality
Figuring him In comparison with
Iwcnty-thrre rival outflelders in tn"
American league IN covering ground. Il"
Is slightly above the average. lie is very
and In STARTING for ny balls and once
under way ne travels much faster than
ne appears TO His gait ia deceptive
On the basis nc has shown similar I'M
provement in getting away. and he II
perhaps the second fastest man In the
Yankee team going from base 10 base
Going from Hrst to third he covers the
second half Of the trip much faster than
he does the first half. He still has some
always has been that nc could be Do.
veloped into O great FIRST Ia seman but
II would take time and might affect
his hitting. :
Pauld D writes Who in ~: your r,s sgss
Paul offers wide field. I caanA eak
only of those I have known. I