Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-10-04
The Younger Generation.


TT STRIKES me that the followers of
this annual travelling madness,
which is called the world series,
are becoming older and that there
are no requirements coming up. Ulti-
mately, there will be no followers at all
if this state of things continues and
then naturally there will be no more
world series.
What get me to thinking along these
lines was the subject of an impromptu
discussion which took place of the pest
room in Philadelphia. There were pres
ent Mr.. John Evefs, known as the
Trojan and the Crab; Mr.. Hugo Bezdek,
coach of Penn State; Mr. Bert Bell,
master CT the hidden ball trick, who is
now coaching Temple College; Mr..
Tyrus Raymond Cobb and several
journalists who have chased world
series from Boston to st. Louis and
back again.
The tip-off en- the fact that those
present were ageing was the topic for
discussion. It was THE younger Gen
Grafton" Now, whenever a bunch Of
gentlemen over their refreshments
starts to put the youth of the land in
the grease, as the boys say, it means
that they are getting thin around the
top of the head gray around the
temples and little dyspeptic around
the middle
AS 1 recall it, Mr. John Evers, re-
Stunning the role of the Grab, in which
part he starred as member of the
Cubs of other days, started the subject,
involuntarily. Mr.. Evers was pointing
cut the obvious defects in the modern
base ball players, in their fielding par
ticularly.
Said Mr.. Evers: when you 60 out
into that pail park this afternoon you
watch those outfielders. You will find
them lined up in positions as geo.
metrically perfect as those laid cut in
the diagrams in Spalding's Guide The
right fielder will be exactly in right, the
left fielder will be in left and the center
fielder will be in the middle. They will
not deviate or move. You will not find
them shifting with the different batters
or ready to dash into position when
left field hitter is going to hit into left
Of vice versa. There is no imagination
shown and no attempt to study the OPP
ponent. That's the younger generation
for you-trusting everything to luck"
That's true said Bert Bell That's
the way with my team that am coach
ing. They won't use their imaginations,
either. They do net keep their minds
on, the game. They go into position
and they stay that way. I think half
of the time they are thinking about
dates they have missed or gin parties
younger generation for you"
Here Mr.. Bell interrupted to mix him
self another rickey and to help Mr..
Evers to something, Mr. EverS taking
only a little ice and mineral water
with his.
"They don't think base ball and live
in it the way we used to- continued
Mr.. EverS, revived by the slight stimu-
liant. And to play base ball you have
to eat, sleep and think about it. The
younger generation can't realize that"
NO" agreed Mr.. Bell. ''They think
that they can forget foot ball the min
ute they leave the practice field. They
do not realize what it entails. I'm get
ting fed up on the younger generation.
The material is fine, but the spirit isn't
there
THE younger generation is all right"
put in Mr.. Hugo Bezdek. And, any,
how. the younger generation is going
to do what it pleaSes And what are
you going to do about it? All of these
younger generations muddle through
somehow and they do it pretty well.
This one will come out all right"
DOnL huDs
'"TLL explain the difference" con-
i tinued Mr.. Evers. when I was
with the Stallings Braves, fight
ing through to world championship.
we took our base ball seriously. 1t was
fight all the time for us. We went
to sleep with our fists clenched and
fighting slogan on our lips.
I'VE had saying them Don't rub
That meant never to show that you
were hurt I remember in practice COL
liding with Rabbit Maranville and
knocking out of his teeth with my
head. I said, Don't rub and the Rab-
bit kept on playing with a tooth gone
and his lips all swoolen for days 1t
was always that way when anybody
had anything the matter with him,
Don't rub
well. one day was trying to stretch
single into a double. You might
remember that. pulled up suddenly
and something cracked / could hear
it. My leg was broken. The crowd
on the bench shouted at me, Don't
rubl' At the same time saw the out
fielder drop the ball and as it rolled
away from him, kept on running and
made third base with my leg broken
/ couldn't rub with the crowd shouting
at me and / made it. But they had to
carry me off the field, and was out for
q whole season. But I didn't rub.
But you take this younger genera