The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1952-06-27
Just Among Ourselves
Passing Comment censidersd or Ineonsidarate

ing or dlsapproying the remarks of an old time
ballplayer on the Great National Game as cur.
rently played 1t might appear that such remarks as
these are better suited for the winter and the
Stove League than for the TV armchair in the high
noon OF summer. But, whatever their timeliness or
value, here they are.
They tell me-" said the Old Timer, that base
ball is holding up right well, but | say it's gone
back. 1t may be that the gatereceipts are satsfac-
tory, what with night games and Sunday games and
ladies' days and all this internal balyhoo of vaude-
vile and hill bilies IS pre-game attractions And
then, OF course, I'm has-been ball player apt to
think that the old days were better But all things
considered, ] say the game isn't what it used to
be, nor what it could be if players and managers
had little sense
First of all take a look al the players on the
field. mean, particularly in the big leagues Did
you ever see a more disreputable looking group of
athletes? No snap to EN-. No neatness Their pants
seem TO have slipped at the knees and Sop down half
way to their ankles. Some of EN- wear jerses un-
der their ball-shirts, but most of them don't Then
these cute little quarterseeves all but reveal the
manly shoulder and make you think the boys came
on the field without their pinafores. They are cute
above and sloppy below, and altogether they look
raggy and unkempt.
Then take their manner These lads are quick
and capabe they have to be- of course to hold their
Jobs But nearly all of them affect lazy and languid
way OF walking and standing; they seem bored to
death, and when fielding running bases makes
them drop the pose, they apologetic for it
afterwards, and slump back to their position like
wornout postman finishing his route. Younger
players initiate the big leaguers and / have seen
hlghsehool team, by goy, moving out on the
field like a bunch of rheumatic old men What's got
INTO the players? Is it going to increase spectator
interest to have them appear dull and Indifferent?
hnY Hau nhp nIK1fCn
Then the game itself is so internally slow. OF
course, the modern big league field is so cutered
up with umplres that the players have to feel their
way around This explains some of the slowness
but not all Take the matter of balls These are ex-
pensive articles carefully made, carefully inspected
and they are all rubbed up with special sort of
mud 10 take the shine off But does that satisfy
young Oscar on the mound By means
He came up from sandlots where one ball did for
one game, but now he's in the big time and can af-
ford to be fincky When all is set for the pitch and
interest is tense, Oscar suddenly discovers that he
doesn't like the ball he's holding and tosses it in
for replacement.
We'll, you may say, let the umpire throw out
new ball and the game will 90 on quickly But
that's not how ii is The umpire first nspects
The rejected ball. looking at it wisely and slowly
tas though he knew anything about iD. Then he
hands a new ball 10 the catcher; the catcher rubs
the new ball IN his glove for period and then
carries II out halfway TO the box. Finally the pitcher
gets 1t, he removes his glove tucking it under one
arm; with bare hands he messages the new ball
thoroughly then he gets little rosn on his hands
and works ii some more. At long last provided he
doesn't find flyspeck a dust mark on the new
BALD he is ready to pitch And by that time half
the audience doesn't care whether he throws or
not.
Nov, the chances are that the new ball is
fouled into the stands That means another new
ball, another rubbing by catcher, another carrying
of the ball TO the mound another rubbing by pitch
ers hands without rosn, and then with rosin.
People who came out to see a ball game and not
merely to look al hats do wndow-shoppng,
are soon dsgusted The game has all the tense
citement of a sailingyaeht calm afternoon.
| say this slowing up of play harms the game; kills
interest
In the old days, when a player came to bat he
took his stance and waited for the pitch. Not now.
Now he must first dig in" The batter's box to-
day is completely and repeatedly dug in
the course of one game, so chopped and cultivated
by players spikes that you could plant lettuce there
at games end and have crop by the time
play is called next day do hate a digger And |
never saw persistent digger that was reliable
batSman He paws the earth like a bull getting
ready to charge then he settles himself just right
knock the cover off the ball. then he looks toward
the coach to get his sign" After that, he pops or
strikes out All that digging that reading of signs
for nothing Here is something that slows the game
sadly.
Coaches are superstitiouS people, and credu-
Gus. Otherwise. why should they attach much
Importance to the giving of sign" to players
they know to be incapable of hitting to order
even hitting at all Yet the lad who couldn't
hit the firSt-base cushion If IL were tossed to
him tied with red ribbon must have his sign"
Either the sign usually means little coaches
are calling for remarkable lot of boopers and
strike-outs these days.
when batter Ga digger of course) has rearrang-
ed the terrain and got his thick legs planted you'd
think he's there to do die But minute later,
irked at the Slowness of the pitcher or feeling the
need of dirt his hands, he steps out of the
box. And then the whole weary business has TO be
done over aeain,-the digging, the careful stance.
the covert glance for the sign. All the while the
spectators waiting, trying hard to be interested.
Result foul TO the press-hox.
II baseball ceases to be the National Game, the
fault will be squarey the shoulders of managers
coaches and lemakers who have allowed the
aehon to be slowed up that six out of every nine