The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-07-21
M E N, w O M E N
 A ND T H IN G $

I have been on a regular baseball spree, as I have been going to the games every afternoon with, my namesake, and believe me it Is easy to see how fellow gets the Dug"
 As an exhibition game. it has every other kind of sport backed off the boards. l know the fascination of football which causes the red blood to jingle and makes creeps climb up the spinal column when the elevens are battling grimly for victory.
 But football does not make the general appeal that baseball does. The season. is shorter, fewer under stand the game, and then it is en- tirely in the hands of amateurs. l am not kicking the pigskin, for l generally register when the college teams come to town, and in my time have seen some of the greatest games in history.
 It's baseball, however, that turns every back lot every fair afternoon when the rays of the sun begin to warm up into a busy place where all the healthy kids in the neighbor- hood are gathered to enjoy the na- tional game. Even the streets are invaded when there is no open place for play, for the boys just must have chance to at least bat and catch.
 
 The game is kept going in eVery school and college in the land, a-d this applies to even the famous school for young women. It is noth- ing unusual for freshman to come home from his college to have his sophomore sister return from hers and join him on the lawn in practice ing catching, throwing and batting for the next season. I have seen young women who could throw hard ball in spite of the fact that some hold 1t is a physical impossi- bility for the sex to do it.
 Every grammar school has it's hines, and so in all the cities the various ones have their match games. The same thing applies to high schools, both in the city and the country. And by the way, am glad to see that more and more baseball Is invading the country, and that the boys on the farms are finding In 1t new pleasure. I have seen some good games this season between country hines. The college teams oc- cupy the public eye and play to big gate receipts.
 am thinking, however, just at present primarily of professional ball, for it is the great organized sport of the United States, and is fast taking hold m other countries. The Japs have already seized upon it, and are showing how easily they pick ilization and make it their own. The Cubans were among the first outside of America to adopt the game and make 1t popular.
 It Is haI 1 to realize just the amount of money and the number of men it takes to satisfy the demand for baseball I'll not take time to enumerate the various leagues, or to try and discriminate between the ma jors'' and the minors" It Is only necessary to state that every section of the country is so divided that the fans have chance to see the game Some of the bush league" small towns. but the enthusiasm for the teams runs as high or higher than it does in the majors.
 I believe without question that the greatest Joy I ever got out of any kind of sport was that which. came to me when I used to play with the Eufaula team There was the in- tensest rivalry existing between m, home town, Cuthbert Americus and Albany, Ga, and Union Springs Clayton, Troy and Ozark. Everybody in each one of these towns was wrapped up in the honor of it's nine For many years only the local boys played, but by degrees semi -profes- sionals were hired.
 I daresay many of the men who read this will hark back to the time when they pitched, caught or fielded on their home team, and heave sigh of regret for the old days when the whole community was at fever heat as the visiting nine arrived for the match. In the days when only the | local boys played 1t meant the open ing of homes to the visitors, for the game was social event as we'll as an exhibition.
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