Show R D outpourings ot of the ilace at large have shown one thing beyond all argument the pub lie would rather have a contest than class for example big league baseball has lost over ot of its best men to war service such players as dickey gordon chandler walker cooper joe DI Magilo tex hughson bob feller on and on and on thousands I 1 thought that the absence se nee of these stars would turn away the crowds but the closer and and more interesting pennant races have more than filled out out the long lines at fhe turn turnstiles stiles 7 you may recall the me 01 old day days when the yankees were 18 games in front I 1 around around july uly or early august in those the grantland days american league pennant race was over just about v when hen it started there was no contest last season the cardinals had bad the national league race practically ly won back in april once again no contest the recent derbies have had no johnstown John sown t or count fleet but they offered contests and brought out the greatest crowds in racing history as tar far as the united states Is concerned the public wants to see a good rough and tumble scrap for theotos the top an interesting turmoil where m more re than one can win even with the cold wet weather ot of may and ear early ly june the crowds have proved this point in baseball A different boom the new sporting boom now getting under way is entirely different from the boom that followed the first world war that was the boom and the era of stars known as the golden age of sport this new boom will be all different in the first cirit place it will lill have far more contestants through the army and navy sporting program in the second place it will au all outclass those days dayi in the matter of public interest and public attendance an ce for us this has been a far rougher and more devastating war than the first world upheaval knew then we went to war in april 1917 and we were through in november 1918 that was only a sprint by comparison par lson but this war began in december 1941 and it Is still going full blast the casualty list of this war will triple the casualty list of the number one affair the tremendous sports program which army and navy are working on Is dead sure to bring in a star crop of baseball players football players and boxers from the younger set these army and navy ball bail players will have the advantage of good training and fit condition carl hubbell says that can make a big difference also there ought to be enough to go around so that all of us can improve dave ferriss and al benton have proved hubbells Hub bells slant coaches greasy neale and steve owen feel the same way about it in regard to football so do the college coaches who expect to get their share of these veterans commissioner chandler has promised to go give thousands of extra kids a chance to play baseball who have been shut out before through lack ac 0 of p playing ay ng sp space ce it has as already alrea rea dy been proven clearly that this country needs more players titan than it needs extra spectators this idea may not strike every promoter as a happy thought but it will be that way in the he future in the meanwhile the first rush of the boom Is already here the ball parks are proving it so are the race tracks golf courses tennis cou courts arts and so on major test case hank bank greenberg will be 35 years old on january 1 1946 he has been out of baseball action tour four seasons and before he moved into war service he had known 10 years of big league service from now on tiger hanks play will be followed with greater interest than the performance of any other player now in baseball this not only includes every baseball tan fan but also every veteran service athlete who hopes to return to some form of sport joe louis and billy conn are notable examples so are many other boxers many other ball players and many other football stars greenberg greenbere at least will give ive us part of the answer as to what four years of athletic inaction will do I 1 talked with the tall captain ca just u t before he be was given his arm army release e weighing pounds he looked fit for anything 1 I only wish I 1 knew the answer he said but I 1 believe I 1 have at least two more seasons left in my system it will take a little time to get going again to get my y e eye ye on the ball I 1 hope not too long but I 1 am in good shape physically although vou gh my legs will need some seasoning it will be good to get back in time to have at least a chance to pick up the old game another year would have been too late I 1 |