San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-01-14
No CHANGE TO
KEEP RIOTERS
UNDER CONTROL
Those Who Argue Not
Sportsmanlike to Rattle
Rivals in Minority.
GOLF IS ONE EXCEPTION
Gallery Usually Keeps Quiet,
but Imagine Quiet Base
ball Crowd.

Copyright. 1923. by The San Antonio Light.
New York, Jan. 13.-How much a
part of baseball is the desire and right
to root" enthusiastically and audibly
for ones team and to rattle that teams
opponents by every possible means?l
Many experts maintain that roofing =
an essential, integral and enjoyablsy
part of the game. Others, much in|
the minority, declare that efforts to rat-I
tie opponents, at least on the part oil
players, during the progress of an ANA
teur contest, is unsportsmanlike.
1t is sure, however. that until pubGcI
opinion changes, rules recently proposed
by Phillips of Amherst before the Ma
tional Collegiate Association to inflict|
severe penalties on amateur players forI
any attempt to rattle or disturb theI
equanimity of opponents will not be
adopted.
The writer was reminded by a re-
cent meeting with Rev. Endicott Pea
body, headmaster at Groton School, OIL
an old controversy between the 'educa-|
tor and the authorities of Amherst whoI
had taken exception to a criticism byI
him OF one of the Amherst songs andI
refrain of which ran:
"You do your best, boys;
SWeln do the rest, boys"
So This Is "Razzing."
DR.. Peabody contended that this was
evidence of intent to rattle Amhert's
opponents.
Perhaps it is well to go back to the
most pretentious and complete book we
have on baseball called Americas Ma
tional Game" by A. G.. Spalding, a
fully qualified authority.
In that volume he gives some of the
sidelights which indicate clearly that
thus far at least we have been quite
unable to tie the national pastime down
to the well-recOgnized ethics of golf
A gallery in golf stands silent and
motionless when player is about to
make his shot and not even the mos
partisan spectator, backing the other
man, would have the temerity suddenly
to break in with a yell of "You can
hit it." Nor would he think of organ
izing a group of other partisans I'd
join in a concerted and continuous
clapping of hands in order to disconcert
a player.
Even Fair Ladies Guilty.
And yet that IS mild compared tG
what we witness frequently at baseball
games. Spalding says: Even aSgs<l
an, ever a loyal partisan of the hong
team, has smiles of derisiOn for thu
umpire when he gives her team thu
worst of it. and gives way to demon
strations when it is necessary to rat
tie the opposing pitcher"
Spalding SAYS of the fan that shit
witticisms, seasoned with spice, hurled
at the visitors and nov and then
the umpire are thoroughly enjoyed bd
all as is any other feature of tho SPORT
His shouts of deriSion to the oppos
ing players find sympathetic respons'
| in the hearts of all present"
The writer well remembers q strik
ing demonstration of human nature il
| this respect. A mass meeting was held
at one of our oldest universities OF
the eve of a game with its dearest ri
val. At this meeting, much was said
about courtesy to opponents and one o
the younger professors made an i'm
passioned plea urging tLat under NJ
circumstances should an error by thei
opponents be applauded.
Professor Among Them.
Near the end of the game, with tn
score tied and two men on bases, th
batter, with everything depending o
him, hit high foul, which manifest
| " was coming down directly into tn
hands of the waiting catcher. Whe
the ball struck the catcher's mitt an
bounded out again, the stands rose
a pandemonium of cheers and yells an
the professor who had talked so well,
his chagrin suddenly found himse
standing bareheaded waving his hat an
yelling and cheering like a Comanch
Indian. Truly the spirit is willing bu
the flesh is weak.
But DR.. Phillips plan is applicab
to the players and they can actual
be placed under control. We all kno
that if a penalty is sufficiently sever
in a sport, the players learn so to cor
troll themselves as not to incur thd
penalty. The deceiving of opponent
one of the greatest assets in our sxiI4
brings about self control and any ful
that are capable of clear interpret
ton in the long run can be enforced
But these proposed rules are I'd
ahead of the range of public opinioi
and whether they will ever be adopts
| or not is q question.