The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1926-07-02
ATIRRIN,
the DOPE
BOOSTING BASEBALL
By vEDDER GARD

DONkJ 4A4No
TIGHT at this time with ma
TX tional Boys day to be OBJ
served Saturday at Pennsy
Park. in this city and with the
local Amateur Baseball Association
making strenuous efforts to put
over the diamond sport in Indian
apolis with the national Glass AA
tourney here in September it is
interesting to note the report of
the National Amateur Athletic
Federation on the success of its
two-year campaign to boost the
sandlot sport.
1t has been said by some that
automobiles, golf and other infu-
ences have made serious inroads
into the popularity of baseball.
The Federation report shows that
more baseball is being played this
year than during any other season
since the war.
Such decrease as there has been
during the year, where colleges
and high schools have dropped the
sport, has been more than offset
by the increase due to other in
stitutions adding the sport and by
the greater emphasis which has
been given to the sport in the ma
jority of schools and colleges.
Not only have the coaches
maintained larger varsity and
freshman squads than hereto
fore, but there has been even
a greater increase in the num-
Der of men playing intra-mural
baseball. Many of the colleges
have cooperated in promoting
the game by laying out add
tionala diamonds.
Outside of the schools and col
leges there has been even a great
err interest manifested in the sport.
Town BASEBALL is now enjoying a
banner year in some sections. Be-
fore this year there were but few,
inter-town amateur baseball
leagues, while more>than two hun
bred such leagues have been
formed during 1926. This is an
increase of considerably more than
100 per cent.
When consideration is taken of
the even greater number of new
amateur leagues which have been
formed in the larger cities
throughout the country, a fairly
good idea can be gained of the
large number of new players that
have become interested in the
game during the past twelve
months.
The different national organi-
cations holding membership in
the National Amateur Athletic
Federation have all contributed
to the success of the baseball
campaign. The American Legion
with its 1000 posts boosting the
game for boys has contributed
much to the increased interest
in the juvenile ranks.
In the State of South Dakota
alone more than a thousand juve-
nile teams have been formed UNI
der the auspices of the legion to
play for the State championship
and to qualify for the junior
worlds series which the legion
will hold for the first time this
year. The American Legion's
junior worlds series is to be fea-
tured as part of their annual
convention program in Philadel-
phia this fall.
I'm number of States special
baseball organizations have
been formed to create a more
widespread interest in the sport.
The Texas Amateur Federation
IS the most outstanding of these
-Eanizations, and has been in
strumental in making it possible
fer thousands of additional
young men and boys to have
high class baseball competition.
C4 maps l1lO OOoC 4IlQC%A VI bIiC
growth or decrease in the number
of players in a sport is the number
Of balls and other equipment which
they use. Reports from the man.
ufacturers of baseball equipment
indicate that considerable more
baseball equipment has been sold
thus far this year than for the en-
tire year of 1924 or 1925. 1t will
not be surprising if the total num-
Der Of baseballs used by the play
ers throughout the country in
1926 exceeds that of the banner
years of the past.
Maybe Travis Jackson will put
the New York Giants back i'm
the race. If the shortstop's trick
knee holds up the McGrawmen
may go somewhere yet. His re-
turn to the game seems to have
b0lstered the morale of the club.
On Thursday in the Brooklyn
game The Giant shortstop
handled thirteen chances with .
out bobbIe.
Tony Kaufman Of the Cubs
must have found that kink in his
arm and got rid Of it. A sore
wing has kept Tony out of the
box for five weeks with the ex-
ception of six innings against Gin
cinnati on June 20.
On Thursday he hurled master
full ball against the Red, allow
ing only four hits for eight in
nings before being taken out for
a pinch hitter. Kaufman is sorely
needed by Chicago as the pitching
staff has been webbing.
a BLACK EYE
ri ENNIS is getting to be a
dangerous pastime. 1t is
not only in the boxing ring