New Britain herald., 1926-10-02

win the world series. But this year
 it isn't safe, so our article, while
 perhaps just as lengthy as in the
 past, will deal with why We shall NOT pick the winner.
 The reason is that this Is a bad year for predictions. The year 1926 got off to good start when it came in, true to prediction, on January | 1, but since then the dope bucket has been kicked all over the pas 1 ture. Congress actually did some | thing. Germany and France drop l ped their maces and are cuddling each other like lovers on a park bench. The president went fishing and surprised everyone by catching | fish. And so on.
 It has been an especially bad year for champions. Tildcn stepped off balance for a second and twisted a knee. and now the best American tennis player is a Frenchman. Bobby | Jones was forced to submerge his golf title and desire under Won Films playing. Paonessa failed to muster enough votes to retain his office. The English channel lost its | unConouerable aloofness and be- came a mere highway for swimmers. Republican senators all over the country were rejected by their fed up constituents. Helen Wills title went into the ash can along with her appendix. And Glenna Collett kept things moving Thursday by boldly missing drives and puts.
 Miami lost its right to boast that it had never been subjected to a hurricane. Rogers Hornsby lost his batting punch and began to hit like pitcher. Jack Dempsey, while not inverted or even knocked horizon tai, was rendered meek enough to allow Gene Tunney to lift the box ing crown from his battered head. And Suffield prep was swamped by green team which even Coach Cas- sidy said would not win single game.
 And therein lies the difficulty of picking the winner in the world series. If either contestant was the worlds champion, we would unhesi- tatingly predict it would go the way of the other titleholders and lose four games in row. But Pitts burgh, the champion, didn't even get within a mile of first place and most of last years players actually couldn't finish the season with the team. So with both the Tanks and Cards new aspirants, we have no underdog for whom to predict vic tory.
 About the only forecasts that we can make are that, if the world ser ies acts up to the rest of this years event. Bill Sherdel or Flint Rhem will hit more home runs than Babe Ruth, Rogers Hornsby will make more errors than Mark Koenig, and Miller Hugglns will go into the box and outpitch the whole St. Lotus hurling staff.
 When that young couple that had been hesitating on the brink of ma trimony finally decided to be recN- less and set the date for the wedding we knew we were doomed. Some how the light in their eyes when they regarded us could suggest noth- ing to our brain but the fatal words Best Man" We waited in trepl- dation while arrangements were be- ing made and silently prayed that a long-lost brother of the bridegroom would turn up at the last minute direct from Australia and demand the right of being the best man. we drew mental pictures of him stag gering up the steps five minutes De- fore the organist started the tum- dah-dee-dah. In the midst Of our dreams and with a blissful and far away smile on our face. the mail- man brought us the formal invita- tion. Would we do the honor ot standing with the groom? we thought of various excuses and finally in despair wrote the accept ance.
 Let us pass over the period be- tween the invitation and the cere- mony. The details of the frantic purchasing of the morning clothes that would grow moldy in the clothes closet after the wedding; the nerve racl1ing struggle to get present suitable for the couple and the final choosing of candlesticks; rnnonl,inU for inc three day trip to the home Of the bride-sixteen miles into the Massa- chusetts hills and car of the l9oo type to make the most of the bunny road: the bachelor dinner the night ! before where we decidedly hoppeo 1 at being the best man prescnt-there were three others much better thar us. Let us pass over all thls anc arrive at the day of the wedding Scene Is the bridegroom's bedroom and we awaken-fully dressed 1T dinner clothes Chat bachelor din nerD Low moans from the groom | and an usher reclining in position ! approaching prone on the floor Somebody murmurs Happy we'd ding day" and the group adjourns to souse respective heads in cold wa ter.
 The groom who has been blithely looking forward for several months to this morning seems to have sui fered a severe relapse during the night and is at figure much be- low par. If an even break were offered him we have no doubt but what he would abandon the scheme JoIia nun.