Detroit evening times., 1945-08-02
WESTBROOK
PEGLER
-Fair
Enough

n SOME recent blurts OF per-
L turbation about the. decline
Of baseball and the failure of
the soulless corporations of the
major leagues to do anything
about it, / detect a sad and
desperate admission that TIN
game. itself, is outmoded. "
l am as unhappy about this
as Bill Corum, the sportswriter,
and Babe Ruth. who recently
joined him in a rather confused
complaint against evolution but,
as one who has seen the rise
and fall of the streetcar, the
family picnic. the photograph
and typography, l lay no blame
and accept change.
Baseball is a game that re-
quires coincidence of conven-
fence. interest and facilities that
is seldom possible these days.
EOR real game at least 1s
L hands are required TO do
the playing and one to umpire
and actually there should be a
pinch hitter or reserve PLAYER
or two of them on each side.
That means that this many
kids must be able 10 bring
themselves together al an ap-
pointed time and place and
most of us remember that our
teams usually showed up short
handed because the catcher's
mother needed him 10 hang out
the wash or the first baseman
had TO get dressed up in his
Sunday suit and 90 across town
TO visit his grandmother.
And often the contests were
unevenly decided because some
one absolutely had to be home
for supper at s. or just at the
start of the eighth inning. and
so walked off, possibly taking
with him the best glove, mitt or
bat on his side or, worst of all,
the ball.
When / was writing sports, il
took me long time 10 admit TO
myself that tennis was a stout
game because when i was little
II was played exclusively by the
well-to-do and in white pants an
that. and because they woutl
sing out that word love" which,
seemed inappropriate, not to
say effeminate.
MY RESPECT for tennis WAS
Nl grudging concession to
the magnificent playing of Bill
Tllden, whom l came TO recoR-
ME as one OF the greatest ath-
letes that the world has ever
seen, after | had watched him
play more than two hours in
that oven AT Forest Hills and
even bring along great oppo-
nentS TO the match point in
championship play. apparently
by deliberate intention, and
then bat their ears off.
II was about this time, too. or
just after the other war. that
golf moved TO the other side Of
the tracks or the kids from the
wrong side crossed over and in
vaded the golf courses.
In Britain, members of the
lower classes had played prof-
GENTLY and held the big cham
pionships but they wereStill re-
garded as social interiors and
classed among the help.
But when our Gene Sarazen
won in Chicago he brought 10
our golf a character and per-
sonality which could not be low
rated by wealth and his man
ners. when he was on his man.
nerS. were as good as those of
any gentleman on the roster OF
the club membership because
the boy was gentleman him
self.
Not many of the members
! could get impressive about
here by pointing out that by
the device Of the handicap,
which gave A terrible dub a
chance against star. we in
fected our thinking with the
idea, since exploited by the NeyA
Deal, that superior men shoul
be penalized so that those OF
inferior ability or without the
gumption TO strive for excel
lence might enjoy equal re-
wards and privileges.