Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-06-09
7 HE BASEBALL
BEAT
BY BURTON HAWKINS

CLEVELAND, June 8.-Doris
ODonnell of the Cleveland News
currently is assigned to record
ing the jubilation of winners of
a crossword puzzle contest, or
something akin to it. being con-
Quoted by her paper. This,
conceivably. is preferable to a
baseball assignment because the
lovely lady wrote, after accom-
panying the Indians on their
last Eastern journey, I'D rather
see a son of mine drive a bus
than be a baseball writer"
Now this is a smart gal, but
she broad jumped to that con-
clusion after a brief exposure to
the second-guess gang and per-
haps was miffed at being excluded
from press boxes at New York
and Boston. This is regrettable
because the lady could have
experienced the rare delight OF
having the remnants of a hot
dog dropped from above into
her silken tresses in New York
AS for Boston. everything is
banned there.
But this gal didn't hang
around long enough. She
glimpsed a more tedious aspect
OF the business. perhaps. That's
the writing part. There are
compromising factors which
atone for that portion of the
day when it is necessary to
confront the keys-the same
number and arrangements OF
them that Grantland Rice, Ring
Lardner, Damon Runyon and
others attacked so adroitly-and
attempt to put one little word
after another in some semblance
of sanity.
+ \ 4
Doris didn't get to spring train
ing camp. All. honey, that makes
1t all worthwhile. There one lives
1t up. on the expense account. An
hour or so Of watching the mus
Gle men swat baSeballS in various
directions. with various degrees
OF force. and it's off to the. golf
course or the back room at Dubs-
dread Country Club, where it is
possible to fleece friends over a
card table.
Golf or cards attended to, then
it's a sad case of relaxing over
a tinkling glass with jolly COM
panionS. That finished. it's nee
eSSary to retreat to a luxurious
hotel. freshen up and head for
the next party. There's always
a party.
And, ShuckS, If that sort of life
gets wearisome. just sit in the
sun. pick up paper from home
and read about those lucky peo-
pie sliding to the Office on sleety
streets. For a change of pace
there's the dog track, where
everybody gets rich. Or, if you're
inclined to expend energy. there's
a swimming pool over there.
merely bunting distance from
where you're lounging.
Now there have been money!
mad fools. unintereSted in such
activity. who have used such
hours TO write magazine articles
or books and perhaps later view
their labor on a television screen
or a movie screen of much mag
'nitude. But these are traitors to
the trade. using their baseball
writing jobs as stepping stones.
They are graduated to pom
dering the worlds problems. at
tempting to get Charley Wilson
to say simething he shouldn't,
again. or. on a dull day. explor-
ing the wisdom of popping those
hydrogen bombs all over the
Joint. And there's always Russia
infiltrating here and there. and
it all needs explaining.
But Doris was talking strictly
about baseball writer's and that's
another breed. These are fellows
of irresistible charm. loved by
players when they point out that
except for this or that bonehead
maneuver a game might have
been won. and worshipped by