Evening star., 1928-04-08

n TO PROFESSIONAL sport fur
nj niSfes recreation for such large
VI crowds, commands so much
4 space in the newspapers, erectS
such stately Stadiums or gives
well paid employment to so many per-
formers as does base ball.
The national game has traditions and
terminology of Its own that only the
"fanS"--an abbreviation for fanatics
can understand. There is no parallel
for the devotion with which the fol-
lowers regard their heroes nor for the
rapidity with which they turn against
them once the magic flame OF conpeu-
tive brilliance burns low. The player
whom the bleacher gods applaud most
loudly when the major leagues open
this week may be the most revlled OF
athletes by Memorial day.
The fame of the patadors OF the ii
towns having big league franchises is
fickle and transient thing. as the play
erS, who are by now somewhat cynical
and caSe-hardene6 alike TO cheers and
Seers. well know. II was the metric
quality of Tinker 10 Evers to Chance"
no less than their amazing facility for
the double play that enabled Grantland
Rice to immortalize the great Chicago
Cub trio of 1908.
In the wears TO come perhaps few
Songs will be sung of Jackson TO Cohen
TO Terry or of Koenig to Lazseri to
Cehric. whatever their infield clever
ness. for unless base ball player has
fiamboyant eccentricitieS, stage per-
sonslity like Ruth's or some liberal
dsshes Of color" he is as soon forgot
ten by the general public as an eX-
FollieS chorus prancer or the vice
President of 8 former administration.
iaa rfNfnafSlU f~nlnrflll H.
ieteS are not positive of remembrance,
for the sporting public has something Of
the brief memory and the callouS indif-
ference of what Benjamin de CaSSeres
describes as the Broadway mind" Do
you know what has become OF Tinker
and EverS and Chance, of Laloie. Craw-
ford, Archer, Latham, McGinnity.
Wau,bsgans, Mails. "Rube" Waddell,
Mordecai Brown and all that legion of
forgotten men whose names once re-
sounded over cloSe-croppeo lnfields and
Ereening outer gardens? The answer.
not improbably, is No. They nave
amply passed out of the picture.
Colorful and capable. energetic and
original were these old-time stars. A
carefree bunch they were. who seemed
TO play the game for the fun Of it, Civ
ing little thought to how they spent
their moderate salary checks or how
they would fare when they no longer
could win the plaudits of the oleachers.
THIS new generation Of base ball
l. PLAYERS is different. Competent
they are. too-and many of them are
colorful-but. what is more. they are
also shrewd in money matters. Large
slices of their generous pay checks are
put away for later years and many of
them are spending their of seasons
learning work to take up seriously when
they can no longer ~hit EN- where they
amt"
They just didn't care in the old days.
The fun Of the game was all that
seemed to matter.
Picture If you can the mighty "Rube"
waddeil, Bugs" Raymond or ''Ossie"
SchreckengoSt in today's line-ups.
the greatest spitbail pitcher in the
world. One day IN nid-Season another
pitcher faltered and Raymond. who had
been deprived Of all cash and was on
liquor probation at the time, was sent
60 the 'bullpen" under the stands to
warm I'D. Three successive batters
singled and a distress call was flashed
TO the bench
A bat boy sent to fetch the relief
pitcher found the s'bullpen" empty.
Ten minutes later a searching party
came across the slippery-elm maestro
In an Eighth avenue saloon. He had
sold the new ball given him to use in
warming up and was rapidly absorbing
the liquid proceeds Of his sale
The management of the club sent the
pitcher TO the Keeley Institute But the
Bugs" lost none of his old habits and
only acquired what he proudly termed
his class pin from Kelley and several