| Show speaking of sports diamond world readies plans for centennial by ROBERT mcshane PLAY ball americal america 1 1 that command keynotes the campaign launched by baseballs national centennial commission a campaign to celebrate the hundredth birthday of baseball americas own game focal point of the celebration will be cooperstown Coopers town N V Y birthplace ot of baseball in 1839 it was there that general abner doubleday originated the first game of baseball years ago doubleday who was then a youngster of 20 laid out the first diamond and devised the rules which sired the most truly american game fame of all from this back lot game for boys baseball has grown in its hundred years to the stature of the greatest team sport in the world it has come to personify americanism everywhere ery where creating and foste fostering rink the american qualities of sportsmanship team play and aggressiveness baseballs history is inextricably linked with that of the civil war when the union soldiers marched I 1 J ABNER DOUBLEDAY DOUB LEDAt off to the battlefields they took their baseball bats along war records include reports of baseball games behind the fronts and in prison camps during the long bitter struggle between the north and south when the war ended soldiers scattered homeward spreading baseball to the four winds rags 0 to riches carried along by the love of the game itself thousands of american boys have followed it as a profession s rising to fame and wealth on the strength of their batting and fielding the cunning of their throwing arm aim success stories in baseball are numberless the big barn bam fl babe ruth left a baltimore orphanage and slugged his way to the largest salary in the history of the game poor boy to rich man is a beaten path in baseball almost every player in baseballs hall ot of fame had an humble beginning tris iris speaker the great outfielder was once a telephone lineman at a dol lar a day salary ty cobb was a georgia farm boy who earned a million dollars in baseball there are 16 major league clubs about minor league clubs and thousands of semipro semi pro nines in the V U S no other game has produced such an army of participants no other sport has captured and held throughout the years the loyalty and steadfast attendance ot of baseballs spectators colorful careers it would be impossible to dwell on the colorful personalities who have made baseball history and those who are now adding new chapters A century of baseball has produced managers owners and players whose names are written in large letters in the games archives the national baseball centennial commission formed to celebrate the games hundredth anniversary includes american leaders from the game itself from the navy the army the stage radio and war veterans organizations baseballs big birthday party will be joined and celebrated not only by every major and minor league in every big and little city in the country but also by semipro semi pro and amateur circuits prep schools and high schools the american legion and hundreds of other organizations every city town and community is included in the centennials centen nials vast program directed full speed ahead to make 1939 baseballs biggest year bad business D IT ON BUDGE though not ungrateful to promoter jack harris has done much to ruin business for the chicago tennis impresario budge has proved he Is too good for present competition it all started when he piled up an early lead over ellsworth vines in the first half of the nationwide nation wide tour he had the series cinched cincher when vines finally came through to win eight of the last dozen matches when fred perry joined budge in the second half of the tour he prepared to accept the lanky tennis king as a world beater he see the Z need for a great deal of preparation as a s he had always 41 managed to look more than good against budge as an amateur don won six straight matches 21 without losing a set fred perry he won the seventh too though perry took a set harris paid J donald to turn pro and even harris realize budges uncanny skill would result in a box office lemon budge plays tennis with everything hes got he gives the game the old college try and plays hard to win large numbers of cash customers make it a point to stay away from one sided contests tennis is no exception according to helen hull bull jacobs budge is the best in the business today and when he loses to perry or vines its because hes had a bad night like a golfer or any other athlete so until competition is a great deal keener harris will b have bave a hard time realizing interest from his investment big red celebrates M AN 0 WAR best loved ana la 11 most widely known horse in american turf history recently celebrated his twenty second birthday at his farm home near lexington ky all ali the conventions were observed speeches were made a cake was cut and a wreath of corn and carrots was draped around his neck nothing was too good for the sire of foals many of them among turf doms outstanding champions among his bis sons are included war admiral scapa flow battleship and crusader the birthday nn man 0 war recalled the days of 1919 and 1920 big red won 20 out of 21 starts accounting for he was one of samuel riddles best investments riddle bought him at the saratoga sales 20 years ago for only recently he turned down an offer of for him his foals have started more than times winning races and placing in to win almost a turf record for living sires semi seini pro tourney somewhere in the united states today is a semipro semi pro baseball club that will wind up the season in puerto rico for a series against the championship team of the west indies this team will be the best of some semipro semi pro clubs throughout the united states already under way is the all inclusive tournament which includes districts the district winners will compete in n state play offs and then in regional region a 1 tournaments top ranking team will be decided at the national tournament in wichita kan in august the american series looms important to puerto rican citizens who eagerly await the event the U S team will be wholeheartedly entertained by island government officials in charge of the series financial honors also go to the winning winning learn team in in addition to a winning learn in a cash award in the U S finals the 1939 national champion will receive a split of the seven game series in puerto rico estimated at from to sport shorts ahas RAINERD lt SNIDER lincoln ill has designed a barometer that will tell anglers at a glance whether fish are biting or not walter johnson pitched his first and only no hit game with a sore arm captain elect mark ertel ed riska and paul ducharme staged the iron man act by playing in every one of notre dames 21 basketball games last season davey obrien highly publicized texas christian university quarterback will serve as counselor and football coach at st johns military academy camp this summer jockey nick wall has ridden four conquerors of Sea biscuit today stagehand jacola and esposa 0 western newspaper union |
