New Britain herald., 1929-07-18
TOO MUCH STRESS
 ON GOOD LOSER
ManSan Says Good Players AL
 ways Regret Losing Game

The fellow who loses a game with a grin and doesn't feel sorry is not a good loser, good player. nor good citizen. according to Judge William F. Mangan, chairman of the board of park commissioners, who spoke to the Rotary club and 92 boys who were their guests at the noon luncheon today.
 The boys were players in the Rotary clubs juvenile baseball league and were luncheon guests of the Rotarians.
 In his address, Judge Mangan told the boys that the park board hopes to give them more and better base bali diamonds and playgrounds, He called attention to other days when men of the present time were boys and had to play on the streets. Tn those days we played with one eye on the ball, one eye on the first base and the other eye on the cop, ready to run," he said.
 Must Try 10 W m "Too much stress is being laid on the faculty of being a good losers. To be a good citizen of course one must be d good loser, but there is such thing as being too good a loser. To yourself and your team you owe the loyalty of making every effort to win. Give every single effort you can towards winning the game, but don't take any unfair advan- tages
 Baseball is training for future life. If you have a chance to catch the ball when it comes your way and you let it go to the other fellow, you're not good either as a baseball player or citizen.
 Its the fellow who tries and makes the errors who is the best baseball player. The fellow who takes the easy way is no good to the game or to himself.
 "To lose and laugh and say you don't feel sorry is not being a good loser. It's being a shrker. Go in and say I'd give anything to win, I'm awfully sorry l lost, but I'll con- graduate the winner You can be sorry when you lose and still be good loser. If you are not sorry when you lose you are not good player. Give your opponent every advantage you expect him to give you, but obey the golden rule.
 The fellow with the best batting average is not always the best play CT. You are not playing for the best average. You are playing to help your team win the game. Don't crat the other fellow if he makes an er- TOT. Pat him on the back and cheer him up."
 At the request of Judge Mangan the boys arose and gave three cheers for the Rotary club.
 What the American Legion is do- ing in boys baseball teams was ex- plalned by Harry (. Jackson. chair man of the Legion team and former recreation commissioner. MT. Jack son told the boys there were 5000 boys teams and 10000 boy players last year under the auspices of American Legion posts.
 "Major" McCourt Speaks How the Rotary club baseball league has started boys to playing in major league games was explained by Gerald P, (Major) McCourt of the New Britain Record and man. ager of the league.
 MT. McCourt said:
 Although you may not be aware Of it, the work you so generously started several years ago. has al- ready borne fruit. Given an op- portunity for. possibly, the first time. to take part in real organized baseball game, the boys, whom l have in mind, actually got their first start in the Rotary baseball league, sponsored and paid for by you gentlemen.
 As the years passed by, the base bal seed, which was emplanted in them as little shavers in the Rotary league, has taken root, with the re- suit that many of them now hold regular berths on teams in the fac tory, city and Legion leagues and at the local high school. Some. I know, now in various colleges. are displaying the wares that they first learned in the Rotary league.
 Baseball is one of the leading American sports, and We want to keep it up among the leaders. Tn late years, however many leading opponents of the game have be- walled the fact that there is scarcity of youngsters taking part in baseball.
 Must Save Baseball
 Many of them. they say, are turning from the old sandlot games to the use of the soft ball. If this is allowed to continue. they say. the game will die a natural death.
 So you can readily sec, gentle men, the work you have under taken to carry out has taken on a national aspect It is up to clubs like yours to carry on tradition that has long been the United States.
 Boys, I hope you realize to the utmost what these gentlemen are making possible for you. You have been given an opportunity that your fathers never had.
 "The only thing I ask of you hoys it to play fair. You all realize what the age limit in this circuit