The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1922-06-29
ay HUGH FULLERTON.

Mace a canvass % - pN u - S'~''e
men and boys At / new athletic field th'
other day which gave Eieam OF Ign
on the baseball situation. There ma:
been a tremendous complaint for yeeI'
about the lack Of good baseball player!
coming into the professional game
Every manager. major aud minor
laments the lack OF new talent. Ih''
spring il looked as II the crop Of young
sters. particularly from the coast ant
from the colleges. was better tnau i
has been FOR years. In fact, considering
the shortage Of promising material, i
seemed foolish to me for many OF th'
teams 10 hang ONTO the wearH!E on: vet
Grams and send the really promising
prospects back to the minors for further
schooling.
The player limit. % course. haad!ca7s
managers In this matter by forcing tneT
70 choose between veterans and young
sters, and with established tr!endsh!pi
and sympathles. the veterans gets the
preference.
At the opening OF this athletic field
there were perhaps 400 young men md
boys. all athletes. and for the fun OF
the thing we asked each 10 state Ms
preference as 10 sport. The shock - ne
vas that only seventeen out ct all crowd
preferred baseball. The great majority
declared they did not like baseball. nor
did they play Il excepting for ira.
Golr led In preference by tremendous
majority. with tennis second Practi-
cal,y every one preferred toihail 20 base
ball. and more played football than play
ed baseball.
Football Most Popular.
Interested in the matter. made the
II - "a
week Coz fell or considerably. bur
baseball showed only a slight gain.
Football was voted the most popular
sport. with tennis having more players.
asked the same crowd about which
sports they loved to pay. Tennis led,
with golt second l asked them which
they liked TO watch. and football led
baseball more than four to one. with
rowing second.
The only conclusion possible IS tina:
one OF the basic reasons for :he decline
IN baseball playing ability IS that golt
and tennis absorb the interest. The kids
are going in for those sports rather than
-fAr =, 4Sebal,. and much OF the best base
ball material never develops at all.
There Is certain to Re shortage, which
will continue for long time.
mo Worse Than Others"
President John Grler Hibben. o.
Princeton. rather threw monkey
wrench into the machinery OF tho
Princeton alumni In his statement dur
Ing commencement, week He simply
told them that he had investigated the
athletic situation. that he had rouud =,
pretty rotton. hat he had dictated the
acton AIKEN. against ~h!ch some oc the
old grads ravrd. lie went further lie
stated that there was no reason or OK
CuSe tor tho old CARDS To get Sether
and aid students. especially athletic
students 20 get through school. lie pro
duCcd figures wh!.h show that the UnI-
vcrSity pays half az the expenses OF the
students and the parents or guardians
pay only haIs. His argument IS that
the student or parents should De will
ing 20 pay half the expense OF tuition
and that further assistance Is harmful
Tho college president. having been
compelled 20 take an interest IN ath-
let!cs seem TO argue things better than
the athletic directors and others ever
could. They see the situation NOR.
clearly. Nor IS there any doubt that III,
opinions OF the heads OF the great uni
versities will prevail
Yet during the commencement wee.
OF one OF the oldest OF the eastern uni
vers!ties, a school which hes been SUBJ
Jected TO severe criticism on charges
OF importing and practically hiring ath-
letes. one Of the biggest men In the
faculty. standing before uHdergradu-
ates and the alumni, stated that tle
school did not pretend TO be pure in ath-
let'cs. but tha, Il was no worse than the
others. The idea OF 4 representative Of
-.
grounds that the others are doing II a
a bigger scale shows the danger Of the
system.
Money On Tut Jack;on
The big boys are looking now for the
small timber. For instance. the Biggest
money even now In the l.me.ight Is not
a, Michigan city. Iowa, but down az
Washington Court House which Is a
town down in southern Ohio. Down
there Jack Johnson. the former cham
pion. IS 20 battle with Tut Jackson. who
is said TO be the coming champion OF
the world. ~ least. II you 90 down into
that section ot America aHd Try 20 win
any other argument YOU haven't a
chance.
This Tut Jackson IS a ashtinc. hust-
ling you1gster who has knocked out
every ore ne has met and VINO has cen.
tered a. the betting roncy tHat there
IS down IN the soGth end of Ohio IN
Washington Court House. where Harry
Dougher;y and others used to thrive.
Tut has cleaned up Columbus. md
the Washington Cour, House crowd
brought back a., that money. Then he
cleaned up Dayton an dC.ac.rnat.. and
al. the folks IN thd. section are so full
os gambling nnoney tina: YOU cant stop