The Waterbury Democrat., 1934-09-04
TODANS SPORTAPAEADE. k8A&Ek{bA!
BY HENRY McLEMORE United Press Stan COrrcspondent

New York, Sept 4.-(UP)-Mis- ter Mercer Beasley has been called poseur, phoney, a fake and quack Some of the fanciel literateurs have even called him a charlatan. Yet he continues to bob up with tennis players who nobody ever heard of, yet who manage to do right we'll by them- selves.
 As matter of fact, and to be downright honest about 1t, I am one of the boys who sprinkled ridicule on Beas!ey's head. It was after the Davis cup business of 1888 when the team that Mercer had hand with, lost in straight matches to England in the inter- zone final. It was in 1883, you will remember, that Beasley sat on the sidelines and took notes notes which he planned to use dur ing the intermission between third and ensuing sets. Unfortunately, there were no sets after the third, the Americans losing in the abso- luate minimum of time. Believing this I, along with everybody else kidded him unmercifully, calling him, as l said before, a poser, a fake, a phoney and a quack and with the help of good old Thes- arus-a Charlatan. So, to para phrase a popular advertisement, l laughed as l sat down to talk with Mercer at the Eastern Grass Court championships at Rye last week. figured I'd talk to him and get good kidding column.
 But 1 did't. Because the man x.,o riuhk tho IA laughed at the ridicule, and what Is more, admitted that lot of it was justifiable. But-and this left me looking for an answer he asked me, in my profound wis., dom, to name a tennis coach--a professional teacher of the game who had turned out as many good players as he had.
 "I don't claim to be any genius" Beasley said, "and I know that many of my methods of teaching the game lend themselves to kid. ding" (He was speaking of plac- ing red discs on the court and hav- ing his pupils drive at them until they could pop the bulls eye regu. larly, of teaching 26 strokes and no more. and of making his pu- pills follow chart, a pattern, when playing, just as though they were cutting out a dress.) But damn 1t, know the game of tennis, and I know how to teach 1t. A lot of the kidding I get is inspired by my fellow professionals. This Is only natural, too. because teach ing tennis used to be a racket until I came along. A wealthy man would place his boy or girl
 under a professionals care and tell the pro to teach the kid. The pro, who could estimate the fath- CTS wealth to a dime would keep stringing the boy or girl along un- | til there was no more pay coming It was the same sort of thing un- | ethical doctors do with wealthy patients-they don't cure 'em toe quick for fear of losing a fat fee. "Well. I thought I'd be differ
 ent. When I got pupil taught
 him I could, as quick as could and told him to get out and prac- tice and play until he mastered the thing. That's what I did with Vines. with Carolin Babcock, and with Frankie Parker. And speak | ing of Vines-a lot of people say had nothing to do with the inn | provement in his game-well, some time I'll show you a letter from Elley giving me credit for making him a real tennis player. And the fact that he offered me the job of managing him when he turned prof would indicate he l thinks something of me. didn't take it, of course. If had people would say taught tennis in order to turn my pupils profes- sional and then. like prize fight
 manager, take a cut of their earn
 ings."
 As final shot Beasley gave me
 permission to kid him all I want
 ed to.
 "Just spell the name right. boy.
 That's all ask. When you're a pro. every knocks a boost.."