Evening star., 1925-08-09
BASE BALL BETTY
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The National Patime Pretty

ton. The winning of the pennant by
the Mastodons meant bank failures,
one-story buildings and the practical
depopulation of the city.
The loyal citizens, so the civic or
ganizations limited through the
papers, could help by supporting the
team vocally, and it seemed to be
intimated that no harm would be
done by the razzing of the Masto-
dons. How chambers of commerce
get that way, l do not know, but they
do. If some of them are not sup
pressed by act of Congress, there
will be another Civil War some day.
The greeters of the place started
by making personal remarks about
the Mastodons. They called the Mas
ter Mind by an ancient nickname
that made him turn purple. They
passed some insulting comment about
the non-combatant correspondents.
Mr.. Hamilton Cain flared at some
especially personal criticism.
Finally the demonstration became
slightly physical. Mr.. William j.
Tanners face was obIiterated mo-
mentarily by a lemon meringue pie
which had been aimed at the Master
Mind. But the Master Mind had
ducked in truly masterful fashion,
cred with lemon meringue and indig-
nation. They dug him out on the
way to the hotel, and he sent a
scathing denunciation of the city to
his paper
1t was quite evident that the Mas
todons and their camp followers were
in for the most crucial of all their
crucial series. There were three
games to be played. If the Masto-
dons took two out Of three, the pen
nant was theirs. and-what was more
important to the athletes-a cut In
the world series.
Ordinarily the correspondents were
only mildly interested in this phase of
1t. Most Of the New York base ball
writer's are from other cities and
never quite get that hometown feel
ing for the metropolis. But that
greeting at the depot had made out
or all of them Mastodon rooters to
the bitter end.
Even the reserved William J. Tan
ner said, We'll beat them. We must
beat them" with sincere emphasis
on the plural pronoun.
We're in for a stormy SERIES"
unused Hamilton Cain. 1T will be
like the brotherhood days, when we
had to fight our way out of Boston
no protection. They hand up fresh
pop bottles and direct the fire"
E,NERf seat in the park had been
sold for the series. They jammed
some of the noisiest of the loyal
rooters down close to the pest box.
During the practice they eyed the
glances. One of the lady fans re-
marked in very audible tones: And
they are just as bad as the Masto-
don players. Probably they are in
their pay. The Mastodons would do
anything TO buy pennant. That old
reprobate with the white hair ought
to be ashamed of himself"
This open and uncomplimentary
remark about Mr.. Hamilton Cain
caused the dean Of the base ball
writer's no little annoyance. But he
had the polish of a John Drew and
continued to dictate his lead" to the
telegrapher without even glancing
around.
Look up to the left" said William
j. Tanner. There's Base Ball Betty"
simultaneously the 10-odd CORE
spondents turned. She was sitting
just a few yards back of the pest
box. a slim and jaunty- looking figure
In that hostile background
X
And that's the face that launched
thousand hits said the Tribune
man, POLITICALLY.
It's as good as a breeze off the Har-
lem River with the sun shining on
Coogans Bluff" said the Globe man.
It's a sign" declared Hamilton
Cain, superstitious like all ball play-
ers or ex-ball players, well win sure"
The first skirmish started with the
Mastodon pitching staff wabbling ac-
cording to form. But the Mastodon
batting order got busy in the first in
ming and piled up lead of three runs.
In the third they made it four more.
When the Scarletinas are winning
in crucial series the Hard Losers go
wild. But when their team is losing
there is an ominous and brooding 81
lence.
The Master Mind had to use four of
the pitchers. but the Mastodons held
that lead. 1t wound up Z to 4. The
crowd filtered out in funereal silence.
There was repressed homicide in that
still, muggy air. A silent mob Is a
fearsome thing
There was nothing for the Master
Mind to do on Saturday but to put in
"Rosey" O'Doul, the collegian, and
take his chance. 1t turned into an
utter rout for the Mastodons. The
Scarletinas got to "Rosey" early They
pounded him all over the field and
into the roped-off spaces where the
overflow of Hard Losers squatted
The noise in the stands was not un-
like what might be made by a menag-
erie of 10000 assorted carnivorous an
imals being simultaneously fed raw
meat. While the Hard Losers take
their sorrows with the silence of the
tomb, they go to the other extreme
when receiving their joys. Only one
familiar with the human race indig-
enous to those parts can appreciate
this scene.
They roared down into the pest box,