Show Pro Pr Baseball Magnates Now Worrying About Inroads Softball Is Making Kitten Ball Spreading Like Big Wildfire Thousands Play B By FRANCIS J. J POWERS Special to The Telegram Tele CHICAGO April 11 11 Softball Softball also known as diamond an and kitten ball bali unquestionably is the fastest growing sport In the United States More than players are registered regIster d in the National Softball association and that docs does not account for thousands of others who v have no organized aCilia Softball is becoming a serious rival to 10 regular baseball both amateur and professional Owners of professional baseball clubs are wondering what to do about the situation but as usual are doing nothing Frank Lane who Is In charge charle of the Cincinnati Reds Reds' farm system relates an Incident which proves the Inroad softball is is' is making on baseball Lane attempted to organize organize or or- a class clan D league in one of the southern states but was unable to secure playing fields because softball already was strongly In In- trenched in the tho towns to and paying a nice dividend Softball has become a great game with kids in both large and small towns In the cities because it can I. I be played passably well on small lots I and everywhere because the only really necessary ry equipment is a balland ball balland balland and bat which may be had for It al also o Is popular with men mt employed in offices and factories because a full nine nine inning game can be played in one hour and fifteen minutes and andI I lends Itself particularly well to twilight twilight twi twi- light leagues The game is becoming the great night sport in towns of less les than 50 50 population The writer r recently c saw many small town parks in the southwest equipped with lights and Phillip Rosier president of the National National National Na Na- Softball association furnishes the information that there are now more than 2000 lighted softball parks in the country Seven ven St. St Louis fields cater to night play and attendance at al the softball games in that city is cutting heavily into the patronage of both the Cardinals Cardinals Cardinals Cardi Cardi- nals and Browns Which perhaps has something to do with Samuel Breadon's Breadon's Brea Brea- dons don's desire to cart the worlds world's champions champions cham cham- off olf to some other place Bloomington Ill a tidy town of less than population also has seven lighted fields and it Is difficult to find a single town of more than in the middle west that does docs not have a fine softball park Night softball will be introduced in New NewYork NewYork NewYork York this summer and it is believed the game will go well in the big city Last year the national championship championship champion champion- ship was staged in Chicago and spectators saw the play with turning out for the semifinals and finals Even Een though no admission 1 was charged to the games cames that Is a tremendous attendance at at- This years year's championship championship champion champion- ship will vill be bo played In Toledo and wUl will draw teams from every state in the union and also from Canada So far no effort has been made to organize softball on a a professional basis but that Is l coming and the time Is s not far tar removed Professional ProCessional baseball men realize I that when youngsters start tart out playIng play play- fag Ing softball they seldom graduate e to I hard ball and that in the end will reduce the number of potential major league recruits But so far tar the professional proCessional pro pro- people people have done nothing more than worry intensively a task at which club owners are very good when attendance starts falling off in midsummer |