Miwiiiiufcii mmmmimmmmt
pan?
ffi
s
FANS
Motto: May the best team win ; But ours is the best
By Hugh S.
(Cop; riglil, 1911,
'Wow' Wow!! Clreat eye, Kdillo!
Make him put It ncross! Bust a
fence! You can do ltl Wow! Wow!!
WowJM ROBBER! All right Tough
luck, Eddie Two niu! two Make
hor bo over. Homo run, Eddie, old"
scout. Break the gate. Wow! Wow!!
Wo ."
The red-faced, apoplectic young
man In the front row madu a trumpet
of his hands and yelled until the
veins In his neck turned purplo. In
tho middle of the final "Wow" ho col
lapsed, looked dipgusted and turning
to me paid-
'What do they keep that hunk of
cheese for" Ho can't hit Never
could. Striking out In n pinch llko
that'"
The fan. howling encouragement or
bawling nbuse at tho ball plnyurs In
tho spirit of the town Just how
great an Influence this Hplrlt exerts
upon the plating strength of the team
representing tho town or city Is Im
possible of calculation, "but It Ib cer
tain Mint It In part of tho national
game. He and IiIb follows oxert nl
miost as much Influence upon the team
:nB doeR luck, and thlfl spirit Ib ho In
oxtrlcably mixed with tho element of
luck that It Ib Impossible to dolor
mine cuuse and effect. Thoro are
titles In which tho loyalty of the fans
thus waned and turned to glboB, and In
thoso cltieB no player does well
There are crowds that remain loyal
In victory and In defeat . These In
spire the playorB to glvo their beat
(offortK to win Hall players -will toll
you that teams Invariably play bot
,tor with friendly crowds applauding
The fan Invariably will respond that
"ho would bo loyal provided tho club
'would win gamca enough to Justify
loyalty Tho plnycrs nccuso tho fnns,
,tho fans accuse tho players, and both
.are In a measuro right Tho major
ity of patronB will "root" when tho
home team Is winning Any team will
play better ball and win oftoner If
tho patrons are loyal. Tho fan. vole
'Injr the aplrlt or the town, Ib a pow
er for victory or defeat
Conditions In, different cities com
prlHlng tho circuits of tho major
loaguoB assert n powerful Influonco
-over their tennis. Players will toll
you thoy would rathor play for tho
Chicago White Sox or for tho Now
"York Giants thnn for any other teams.
Thoy will nsBcrt that twenty Cobb?
rcould not win a pennnnt for Clncl.1
nntl under conditions which the man
agement Is now striving to chango
Tho fanatical loyalty of tho White
iSox rooter nnd (ho Giant patron, tho
angry abuse of players by tho an
nually disappointed Cincinnati pub
illc, tho snrcasm and raillery of Wash
ington crowds, trained for years to
expect nothing but defent, havo an
Immense effect upon tho players nnd
teams. They mako or mar players,
and weak men win for ono typo whllo
brilliant ones fall and Iobo for the
other
Tho baseball fan Is an unique Amer
ican species and tho most rabid of nil
entltUBlnBts, Cpmpnrod with him tho
jrolf fan, the brldgo fan, oven tho
bowling fan arc mild. HiiHobnll is
tho most serious pleasuro ovor In
vented Probably tho most blindly loyal
crowd lr' tho world Ib that which fol
lows the fortunes of tho Chicago
American league team,, nnd to ono
-who Is dlBlntercsted tho Chicago sit
uation Is acutely funny. Tho Whlto
Sox park In located on tho south sldo
(WMWL. 1 ' ' V VlJT- ". i T. V .w
"Fans."
or tho city; tha Cubs' on tho west,
nnd the city Is divided Into two groat
armed camps. In 1S90 when those
two teams, winners of tho champion
whips in their own leagues, mot to
contest for the world's championship,
it was the loyalty of tho south side
crowd beyond doubt that won ror the
team Thnt Jail tho Chicago Tribune's
composing room wns about equally
divided hot ween the follow nru or the
two teams nnd so bitter was tho fool
ing thut the foreman wub compolled
to separate them nnd neml thorn to
different sides of the building to main
tnln pence. It was civil war all ovor
Chicago.
It Is n mngulflcunt crowd, wonderful
In Its spirit nnd In Its Intense loyalty.
There are fow things thut shako an
opponent llko the Incessant: "Got a
lilt," "Get a hit," which Is tho war
Fullcrton
lirW 0 Clmpnun)
song of tho Sox rooters when thoy
scont victory.
Ono of tho most dramatltf displays
of loyalty I over saw was In 1907,
when tho team, beaten and displaced
from tho championship, camo homo to
cIobo tho season. Thoy had gonu
away In high hopes, nnd failed. It
was Sunday, and as tho defeated
team marchod down tho Held 17.000
men and women stood silent nnd un
covered for n moment, then broke
Into applatiso that swept the stands.
It Is smnll wonder that a team back
ed always by hucIj loyalty won even
during years whon It seemed much
weaker than Its opponents
I have henrd opposing players de
clare they would rather face nnythlng
in tho game thnn the grinding "root
ing" of tho Chicago south side fanB.
The only duplicate I know Ib the
rasping, nerve-racking, long Yalo yell
Not nil players are fcank enough to
ndmlt that tho rooting has any e fleet
Indeed It Ib n common pose to pre
tend that thoy do not oven hear. Hut
they do. Even among themselves
they pretend they do not care; but
onco In n while they tell their Inner
feelings They know thnt linlf the
men who quit the mnjor leagueB nre
driven out by the voice of the fan. I
have seen men break and go all to
pieces, ravo and swear and nbUKe
ovoryone after suffering a cruel grill
ing by a crowd.
Walter Wilmot, one of Anaon's fa
mouB old Chicago players, enmo to a
gamo on tho old grounds fifteen years
after retiring lie looked across to
ward the left field and said:
"Thoro's Homo of them out thero
now I'd llko to choke "
Yot tho ronr of the crowd does not
break them as quickly bb does some
Bhnrp thniBt of sarcasm or biting wit
from nn Individual. Perhnps that
shaft Is only tho last straw, but when
a playor Ib In a nervous collnpse he,
usually ragos at some Individual who
said something to him. Josh Rcllly,
ono of tho merriest, happleBt players
I over know, "blow up" one day and
had to be restrained from assaulting
three or four thousand men In the
bleachers
Hid you hear what ho said?" de
manded Rollly dN tho other players
tried to restrain him.
"What did he eny?" Inquired some
one "Ho said: 'Rellly, you're a dlBgracc
to tho Irish'," nnd then ho raged
again
One of tho quickest things I ever
hoard was a remark from a Wash
ington fan which upsot Prank Isbcll,
the veteran, completely. Iahell's hend
is ns bald aB a concrete pavement,
nnd usually ho kopt his cap plastored
tightly on his head to shield hlnteeir
from tho gibes of crowds. This tlmo
ho tried to ateul second nnd made a
desporato, diving slide around nnd un
der tho basoman only to be called
out. Ho waB so onraged that ho ran
at the umpire, grasped his arm, ar
gued and raved nnd finally In sheer
anger, Jerked oft his enp, hurled It
onto tho ground nnd Jumped upon It.
Ills bald head glistened In tho sun
light nnd tho crowd roared. Then,
ahovo tho roar camo a voice:
"Put on thnt cap. Thoy pinched
Mary Garden hero for Icbb than that."
PoHBlbly moio trying than any con
certed rooting is tho incessant nng
glng to which players on tho Polo
grounds, Now York, nro subjected.
Tho ono great bit of rejoicing among
jff
vjw -F "
tho National league playors Inst year
when thoy buw tho wonderful Brush
stadium was that tho crowd could not
make ltsolf heard on tho neld na It
did In tho old stands The Polo
grounds crowd Is odd Somehow
fnnu who occupy box soats either nro
not ns rabid as those In the eheapor
oimm in- moy are on tholr good bo
hat lor, nnd a fringe of box seats Is
an effective shield for plnors.
Strangely enough tho crowds on tho
New York Amorlcan leaguo park, al
though quite as noisy, are much fair
er, thnn tho crowds nt tho Polo
grounds.
Ono would think thnt visiting piny
era would like to play on grounds
whoro tho homo tonm is unpopular
through defeat or other cuubob but
thoy do not. They rather resent tho
home crowd ubusliiB the homo men.
In Cincinnati Brooklyn nnd Waibhlng
ton, during most of tho season, the
crowds nro blttorly sarcastic toward
tho homo teamB, although tho Brook
lyn crowds nro decent except on Sat
urdays. St. Louis affords a queer
study of the crowds. When tho
Browns nro at homo tho crowds arc
ugly and vent their temper upon tho
players, yet half u dozen blocks nway,
on tho rival park, there assemble.! a
crowd wilder and more frantlcnlly In
favor of tho homo team and more un
reasoning in partisanship than almost
any In tho country. Just whero this
feeling nrloes Ii hard to discover. The
crowd Is violent In temper whon the
team Is winning, worso when It Is los
ing. Perhnps long years of blttor do
feat have caused It.
In Boston and Philadelphia, on both
major lenguo parka, tho homo players
and visitors arc almost upon equnl
terms, and tho spectators npplnud
good plays Irrespective of the players.
They seo baseball under tho best con
ditions, with both tenm'a encouraged
nnd giving their best efforts to tho
work. Pittsburgh Is bnd becauBo of
tho gambling thnt has become almost
part of the game In tho Smoky City.
Tho temper of the crowd Is ugly and
tho losing element is In evidence no
matter whether tho home club wln3
or loBes. Detroit Is a loyal, rathor
violent crowd, tnmed now becauso tho
fans hnvo learned to endure victory
aB well nn defeat. The crowds were
mad with enthusiasm the first year De
troit won nnd havo since tamed down
"They Pinched Mary Garden for Less Than That."
Ono of tho queer things In that city
Is the baiting of Georgo Mullln, tho
veteran pitcher. Mullln Ib a Jolly,
quick-witted Joker nnd years ago ho
began talking bnck to tho bleachers.
He was warned thnt the hleachcrltes
would put him out of the business,
but pcrnlsted. Every afternoon ho
would walk down In front of the
blencherB nnd engage In a verbal
skirmish with tho crowd, trying to
hold his own at rough reparteo with
hundreds. Ho ahuBcd tho crowd,
Inughod at them, accused them of
"quitting," nnd enjoyed It. If ho had
taken It seriously tho result might
have been different, but after a time
It beenmo part of tho game and now
tho spectators In the blenchers would
not be satisfied It Mullln forgot to
Btnrt ti filtlrmlsh. Last summer, go
ing out on n car In Detroit, threo
young fellows wero tnlklng.
"Oh, I've got a peach of a get-back
at him today," said one, and, at the
urgent request of tho others ho drow
out it card and rend what ho was go
ing to say to Mullln If ho camo near
their scats.
It Ib not the great crowds that at
tend tho crucial games that oxort the
strongest lnlluenco over players. Truo
there Is a natural nervousness nmong
nil the players when a tremendouB
throng gathers to seo them, ns in
world's serleB games; but tho onc3
that help the homo team, or damago
It, are tho crowd of from six to ton
thousand, stirred up by tho "rogulnrs"
who, day after day nnd season after
seaBon, Incite those around them
Thero nre thousands of these regulars,
self-appointed claques or cheer mas
ters, and Bomo of them feel us If they
nro doing ns much to help tho team
to victory bb If they wore out there on '
tho mound pitching. Tho lnrgo crowdB
usually are tho fairest and most
Bportsmnnllko, for In tbeso great gath
erings the rabid and partisan fan Ib
lost nnd his utterances aro smothered
These crowds pollen themselves and
tho plnyorB feel Bnfe and assured ofi
fair play, nnd, after tho first nervous-
nnfia nnaonu lTin- Tilnv tliAU liAnt
...-' ,...hxu, v.vj 'iuj i.iuw urm,
A bnsebnll crowd Is much like n
mob Without a lender It Is Just iioIbo
and turmoil, but with ono recognized
lender it can do much, A fow years
ngo a number of Chlrngo men at- outfielder has his own regular pat
tempted to carry out a theory thnt tho , rons, who attend games nnd seek
crowd needed lenders and tho result senta as near to him its posslblo, nnd
was ono of the most dangerous ex-f who derend him ngalnst all comora.
porlinents over attempted The Whlto ' To them ho Is the best In tho world,
Sox rooterB organtzed, a band of man a "Creator than Cobb," nor do thoy
fnr ahovo average Intelligence, who ' forgot him, the player who llnnlly dls
laid dally plans .for Inciting crowds plncos nn Idol has a hard tlmo. I
nnd Btlning up enthusiasm. The havo known them to follow a playor
Hoard of Trnde Rooters operated at around the flold whon ho was shifted
both Chicago parks, being organized from ono to anotbor position nnd to
primarily to attack McGrnw nnd tho I battle ror him with tho retainers or
GlnutB. They wrote nnd circulated
bourb, Invented Ingenloua mothods or
hurnsBlng n worthy roo. and to rorco
undeserved victory upon tho homo
teams. Tho Idoa spread rapidly
"Rooters' clubs" woro orgnnlzeJ In
mnny cities nnd towns to help
tho
nomo tennis For a row wooka It
looked as ir tho now movement would
soriouBly ondnngor tho nntlonnl gamo
Tho crowds grow moro and moro vio
lent. Then, nuddonly nnd without
warning almost, tho wildost efforts of
tho cheer masters fell flat In Chi
cago at least. Tho harder tho leaders
of tho rooters worked tho moro apa
thetic tho crowds became. It was an
Interesting phenomenon and I sot out
to discover the reason. Tho first
bleacherito I met solved the problem.
'iJem guys ain't on do Bqunro," he
said "Usuns out In do bleachers
don't want to rob nobody."
Thero was the solution. No matter
how partisan a baseball fan may be
como, or how wild In his deslro to soo
the homo team win, deep down ho
wants fair play, and, after a time, ho
will Insist upo'n It. Tho rootorB' clubs
died
Thero aro fow of tho noted fans
now, chlofly becauBo tho papers sel
dom mention them. Perhaps thoy ex
ist In tho old days almost overy
club had one or two such followers.
Probably tho best known wnn "HI
HI " This was General Dlxwell, of
Boston, who for many years followed
tho fortunes of tho famous old Boston
dub. He la wealthy, Intellectual and
a cultured gontleman who became
completely absorbed In baseball He
followed the team wherever It went
and became a familiar figure nil over
the country. He occupied n front
scat In tho stntids. kepi a careful
score nnd studied tho gnmo with n
seriousness that was appalling. 'Ho
maintained a deep silence during al
most all tho game, but when a really
great piny was made ho omitted two
sharp staccato barks: "III! HI!" and
then dropped to Bllenro again. His
war cry gave him his name. Ho quit
attending baseball games years ago,
but still continues his deep Interest In
the sport, nnd In his apartments he
keeps a wonderful set of books show
ing the nverages and performances of
luuyuru tor many Dasenan genera
tions. "Well, Well, Well." was another
character who was named because of
his cry, which followed just after a
big outburst of applauso on the part
of the crowd. Tho moment tho ap
plause subside his "Well, well, well,"
would boom o'ver tho Held and never
failed to start tho cheering again.
The nverago crowd Is cruel, because
It Is thoughtless. Pew of the fans
who hurl abuse and criticism at the
players stop to think that tho men
they aro addressing have tho capacity
to feel and to suffer. Many a thought
less, barbed Jest has wrecked tho ca
reer of some ball playor. It took tho
players a long time to discover the
fact that tholr popularity and their
safety from abuse lies In presenting a
good-natured appearance, no mnttor
what happens, and In answering ques
tions when possible.
If you go through league affer
leaguo, team by team, you will find
that tho most popular playor, in nine
cases out of ten, Ib somo outfielder.
He probably is not the best player,
but ho has the most devoted follow
ing, becauso he keeps on friendly
terms with tho men and boys who sit
The Baseball Fan Is a Unique Amer
ican Species.
behind him In fact, almost every
tho other Holder who dared crltlclso
him.
Biased, prejudiced ahd distorted In
their views as most or them aro, they
nro very human nnd very lovablo In
tho'lr blind dovotlon to tho gnmo, and
iin tholr unronaonlng hatred. And a
word or warning; Novor try to ar
gue with a real, dyed-ln-tho-wool,
thlrty-socond-dograo ran. In tho first
placo tho chntiros are ho Is right, but
oven if ho 'a wrong thero Isn't a
clmice to win tho argument
i -. if,,
Xitl II I III! , . HMfcWII MW.Mi.IMII
&? t ' " , ' X
WH5 WJO-rf
MEMORY
AT 70 MAYOR BECOMES STUDENT AGAIN
fltk .
WPm r
civics, and returned wlUi tho very latest Ideas on tho problems ot municipal
government.
Thero were 26 women, Including Mrs. Blankenburg, In the party.
"Llko a Greek philosopher," said Mayor Blankenburg, "I am traveling Tar
In search or learning. Hero are my disciples, who havo come to alt at tho
foot ot the great mnsters. Government In these days has come to be a bcI
enco, und we proposo to give Philadelphia tho latest Improvements."
Mr. Blankenburg was elected cbler executive ot tho Quaker city on an
Independent ticket. For muny years he has beon prominent In tho Held ot
civic Improvement. Ho retired from business in the '70s in order to devoto '
his timo and money to tho betterment ot Philadelphia."
SAYS INDIANS NOT
That the American Indians nre a
vanishing race hns frequently been
asserted or late. In only one sense Is
this true, according to statistics. As n
race proper, the Indians are assimilat
ing the Ideas, teachings and mode of
lite or tho whlto man and so losing
their Identity, but as a matter or ract
they are increasing In numbers, aro
more prosperous, healthier as a result
of education In sanitation, moro Indus
trious than they havo ovor beon be
roro and aro better cared for by the
government, through tho ofllco ot In
dian affairs, than at any tlmo In the
history of the red man In the United
States.
Acting Commissioner of Indian Af
fairs Abbott speaking of the Indian
situation says:
"The Indian race Is vanishing only
In the sense that modern standards
and liablts or civilization are displac
ing those or a rormer day and apply
ing thoso qualities In tho Indian, al
ways virile, noble, and worthy, to tho now and modern Industrial mode ot lire.
"The work or the Indian bureau In caring Tor the Indlnn's Interests Is In
creasing and must continue to Increase tor years to come."
CARES LITTLE
It thuB happened that when tho commission's presentation to tho king
and queen was set tor five o'clock in the atternoon many delegates lnformod
Ambaasador O'Brien that they would be unablo to be present on account of
the fact that thoy had no evening clotheB with thorn.
The ambassador, who knows tho king lntlmntely, decided to Inform bis
majosty of tho delegates' plight and tho king's answer was:
"Now, Mr. O'Brien, tell them to como even In walking coats. I know
they aro hore to work and not to enjoy themselves. Besides, I care Ilttlo
for formalltlos."
HUERTA TIRES
n.moi-ni Huni-tn Is chafing under
restraint Imposed by tho duties and
ceremonies ot hfs offlco as president.
Some of his old frlonds In the army
will not be surprised ir ho throws off
the trl-colored band nnd again dons
tho military unUorm. It Is said that
the president, not satisfied with tho
progress being made against the revo
lutionists, Ib considering seriously the
resignation or his olllco that ho may
direct the campaign personally.
That, the army has not mado any
great advancement In restoring peace
is evident.
"I am not a man ot governmental
affairs." snld Huerta In an Impromptu
after-dinner speech. "I am a soldlor,
and every tlmo that I soo a body ot
men entraining I long to go with them
Into tho field."
Who would take Huerta's placo ns
provisional president Is a matter or
speculation. His inability to find a
and display tho requisite executive ability la what may prevent Mexico's sol-dlcr-prcsldent
from abaudoulug the paiaco.
A plcturesquo white-haired "gentle
man or tho old school" stepped buoy
antly from a train at Madison, WIb.
a fow daya, ago.
Ho was Mayor Rudolph BUtnken
burg of Philadelphia, scholar, patriot
nnd philanthropist, nnd be, with at
party or 100 easterners, went thero to'
take a special courso In civic govern
in en t.
The venerable Quaker made an im
pressive flguro In his flowing beard
and track coat. His oyes, undlmmcd
by ago, shone with the eagerness of
youth.
"Nuvor too old to learn," was his
cheery announcement. "Think or It
going to school at my age." And ho
laughed heartily at the Idea or becom
ing a schoolboy at tho ago or seventy.
The party, which mado tho pllgrlm
ago under the auspices of tho City
club ot Philadelphia, regards Madison
as a sort or new world Athens. Thoy
took a threo-day courso In advanced
A VANISHING RACE
-" "wf'',''',v
FOR FORMALITIES
The American agricultural commis
sion which visited Rome recently took
away a lasting remembranco or at
least two very prominent mon met
while there, namoly. King Victor
Emmanuel and Signor Luzzattl, tho
rormer minister ot finance and agri
culture and once president ot tho
cabinot.
Of the commission's experience with
King Victor a story Is now being told
which, besides throwing moro light on
the klng'B democratic ideas and disre
gard for etiquette, also explains why
tho delegates woro so pleased with
tho reception at which tho king and
Queen Elena wero present
According to tho story, on loavlngi
America many members of tho com
mission little thought they would come
In contact with crowned heads of sev
eral European countries and railed to
bring along evening dress suits, Princo
Alberts, cutaways and striped trous
ers. OF HIS JOB?
i