431
Playing Ball
for Uncle Sam
One Hundred and Fifty Ball Games in One Day Is
a Convincing Example of Baseball Enthusiasm
In Army and Navy Circles
By CHARLES WEEGHMAN
President Chicago Cubs
T
HERE are fans in Chicago who attend
every game of the season at Cub
Park. There are fans who have attended every game for many seasons.
There are fans who never seem to get
enough baseball. But the most enthusiastic devotee of the sport who ever lived
would have got his All of base hits and
strike outs for at least once in his life, by
the sight which thrilled my eyes one beautiful Sunday, not long ago. What would
you rabid rooters say to one grand baseball panorama of a hundred and fifty
games played on one huge field in a single
day! Wouldn't that be a sight to fire the
imagination and engrave itself on the
memory for all time! Wouldn't that be
a tribute to the popularity of baseball,
such as not even a world's series could
equal?
Nor is this a dream, a foretaste of what
baseball may become a hundred years from
now. No, it is a reality of the living present. I saw the sight I speak of with my
own eyes. It was the most impressive picture I have ever seen. It occurred at the
Great Lakes Naval station, Great Lakes,
Ill., where nearly ten thousand young men,
the cream of our country, have offered
their services to Uncle Sam. Scores of
teams made up from these young athletes
battled from early morning till mess call
at night. The list of complete games
played totaled a round one hundred and
fifty. Surely never before in any one
place was there such an outburst of baseball enthusiasm.
As I watched the contests I became engaged in conversation with a group of
managers of these budding ball clubs. I
asked them if they wouldn't like to have
the service of a good major league coach.
They snapped up the proposition eagerly,
so I then and there determined to cooperate with the boys by every means in
my power. I arranged to let them have
Jimmy Sheckard, our own coach, who is
certainly one of the wisest heads who ever
wore a National League uniform. I also
loaned the camp Jimmy Archer, once
greatest of catchers and, Vic Saier, our
star first baseman.
Charles Weeghman, President Chicago National Baseball Club
It was Jimmy Sheckard who gave the
boys their first major league coaching.
The presence of the former great star enthused the boys and I am reliably informed that Sheckard was equally impressed with the task assigned him.
He looked over the field, sized up the
situation, and sent word to me that the
camp was sadly lacking in necessary equipment. Particularly were they in need of
balls and bats. I immediately got busy,
and sent them a consignment which should
furnish enough material to keep them going for some time. I also informed the
Cub players of this need for equipment. I
am pleased to say that many of my players availed themselves of the opportunity
to help out a worthy cause and contributed
bats for the sailor boys. Among the players who thus contributed were Larry
Doyle, Art Wilson, " R o w d y " Elliott, Cy
Williams, Jimmy Archer, Charles Deal,
Claude Hendrix, Fred Merkle, Leslie
Mann, Rollie Zeider and several others.
I am hopeful that much good will result
from this experiment at Great Lakes. Certainly baseball seems made to order for
the young athletes who are to defend the
Nation's honor in this hour of peril. The
soldiers' and sailors in these big concentration camps need the wholesome influence
of clean athletic sport much more even
than in normal times. Most of the diversions which are easy of access to the
average young man are, of course, denied
the sailors at this huge station. Healthy
diversion is as much a necessity at such a
camp, as the naval drill itself.
Another great spectacle which it has
been my good fortune to witness recently
was the drill at Cub Park by three squads
(Continued on Page 456)
B A S E B A L L
M A G A Z I N E
PLAYING BALL FOR
UNCLE SAM
(Continued from Page 431)
of the seamen's guards from the station
headed by a band of 125 pieces. More than
175 Jackies went through interesting manœuvers before a crowd of seven thousand
spectators on registration day. Unfortunately the skies were lowering and a storm
prevented the playing of the game between
the Cubs and Phillies. Alexander the
Great was due to grace the box for the
visiting club and a hot contest seemed assured. But the weather has been particularly unkind to baseball this year and the
game I speak of was no exception to the
rule.
Naturally all present were disappointed
but what seemed to me peculiarly affecting
was the thought that some, at least, of
those brave sailors present would perhaps
never have another opportunity to witness
a big league game. War is the greatest
game of all with the deepest shadows. But
I am glad to say that baseball has once
more responded to the call upon it and
proved its right to be known as the sport
of the hour, a true war game.