The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-05-30
TALKING
1T OVER
BY JOE WILLIAMS

NEW YORK, May 5O.-CoLege
IN baseball seems to have taken
on a new glow of health. Jack
Coffey, the Fordham coach, tells
me the game is definitely on the
way back to its old popularity. At
least there are indications that
point that way.
Coffey says the crowds have been
ranging from 5000 to 1000, and
while these figures are not spec
tacular as regards baseball in gen.
eral, they are quite extraordinary
for college ball games. A couple of
years ago 500 was a big crowd at
the average college game.
Moreover. CoHev finds there is greater
student and PLAYER interest in the college
for sometime. The economic dislocation
OF the country NAV have something 70
DO with y as Z appears to have some
Polo. golf and the other more expensive
Dat5onsSe Baseball call 5 remains the COM
membership or stable o be a partie.-
pant i also remains the most mex
These NAV be the factors which have con-
tributed 70 the new. rise in popularity.
the student athlete anyhow" saws Cofev
1t IS fine outlet for his Youthful en-
thusiasm and plav spirit. It is an ex-
citing. fascinating game and what IS
more important. It imposes no physical
hardships and entails no physical haz-
ards
Although coney IS former professional
PLAYER ne NAV oe accepted as a com
ham come under his supervision. football.
basketball. baseball etc. And vet ne
SINGLES out baseball as the one that does
the vounEStsr the most good.
IT is encouraging to hear that
Il college baseball is showing signs
Of ascomeback. There was time
when college baseball was more i'm
portant in the athletic scheme of
things than college football. Practi-
cally overnight the interest died out
A number Of colleges gave up base
ball entirely. Some of them still are
without representatives on the dia-
mond.
The diaEnostlcians sscribed the apathy
to golf All the colleges are represented
hv golf teams these DAYS. Many OF the
colleges have their own. courses; The in
event in this country It still looms far
bigger on the. sporting horizon than the
climax OF any sectional college baseball
Undoubtedly rolf has iured many Of the
bows away from the hating cage. Just
the same ] believe the terrific ballyhoo
that has grown up around college foot
ball has done more 70 kill college baseball
than golf or anv other one thing. II no
longer means great deal tc be varsity
baseball PLAYER but the varsity football
PLAYER Is one part idol and two parts god
EVERYBODY knows about Able Booth the
Yale quarterback. Few people know about
Booth the Yale iufelder There's
glamour 70 the football show that sparks
the Youthful Imagination. College base
ball used 10 have it. but In recent years
10 has been non-existent
TOFFEY says there are more ex-
~ pert players in college baseball
this year than he has ever seen be-
fore. Allowed his own pick, he
thinks he could assemble a team
from the eastern fields alone that
would hold its own against any class
IA team.
For that matter Coffev has q capable
bunch Of Youngsters himself. They may
rev have W won twelve out OF thirteen, 4
fair sort OF average ov anybooy's
standard
In Young Auer Fordham has one Of thu
have produced in a long time. Despite
the fact that he is understood and a
Sophomore two big league clubs are In
terested in signing him.
shouldn't produce good baseball PLAYERS
Most OF the teams are coached bv old
timers who have been through the big
league fires