St. Paul recorder., 1941-04-25
LISTEN
TO
THIS
Behind the Eight Ball in
Baseball
By Hobart T. Mitchell

st. Peter umpired the game.
Rebecca went to the we'll for
water
While Ruth in the field won
fame.
Goliath was struck out by David,
One base hit-Abel to Cain.
The prodigal son made one home
run,
While brother Noah gave out
checks for rain.
Biblically and POLITICALLY speak
ing the ancestors of all races and
groups played in the first big
league game. The thought of
prejudice was furthermost from
their minds. Black, white, red,
yellow and brown-Jews and Gen.
tiles-were members of that IA
nous team.
Maybe a Ladies' Day" was in
order and the hardy females of
past gone days consented to show
themselves, not only on the side
lines or in the grandstand, but ac-
tually participated in the game.
The first game was a very lively
affair as you may judge from the
activity and the famous names of
the players. All were high sal
aried and specialists in their play
ing positions.
Eve, that grand old lady, who
was always mincing on an apple
and later banished from big-time
participation, made the first score.
She was being ribbed" by the
crowd because her fig-printed uni
form had been torn off when she
slid for the home plate.
Adam hit a single on his first
time at bat. He always played to
the gallery on "ladies' day."
Goliath was called the "King of
Swat" His batting average was
around 500. The day before the
game he visited with his pal, Eze-
kiel, who suggested his "House of
David" makeup did not fit big
league baseball. "And thou, son of
man, take thee a barber's razor,
and cause it to pass upon thine
beard" (Ezek. 5 chapter, 1 verse;
After leaving his pal, Ezekiel, Go
Hath went to the home of his
friend, Sampson, who further sug-
gested that he attend Delilah Bar
ber Shop and ask for Delilah, the
Philistine, the best barber in town.
Delilah must have put the jinx on
Goliath because as the record says,
Goliath was struck out by Da-
vid."
But let US not dwell too long on
the past, the last drop of sand
has fallen through the hour glass
and it is new day. We find our
selves in the year of our Lord 1941,
addressing you through the col
umns of newspaper, on the sub
ject of "Sportsmanship."
"It would be an impeachment of
the intelligence of the average citi-
zen of the United States to say that
ne does not know and appreciate
the true significance of the term
'sportsmanship.'
Parents, teachers, and others
who have daily contact with chill
dren spend much time, and proper
ly so, in lecturing small boys upon
the merits of real sportsmanship.
On any sandlot where boys are
gathered we hear such expressions
as 'aw, be SPORT you had your
turn-now let Joe have his
"But the tables might properly be
turned. It is to be suspected that
children are in a much better posi-
tion to lecture their elders on this
point. Children do not recognize
the artificial barriers which sepa-
rate men. Children are the most
democratic, they are the best
sports. Indeed, what prejudices of
color they possess is null and void.
Society is a test tube. The ever
changing fiux-the ground rum
blings of new era can be seen on
every hand. The social relations
between whites and blacks in the
United States is and will continue
to change. Indeed, the essence of
progress is change. This ever
changing surge, the chameleon-ike
contour and nature of a new pat
tern in the already highly integral
ed social structure can be prophe-
sled.
"Bill Robinson can dance with
Shirley Temple, Rochester can
crack jokes with Jack Benny, Mari
an Anderson can sing to thousands,
but the conscience of the public
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