Sir Arthur Cogitates on Baseball
Sir Arthur Cogitates on Baseball is an article published in The Sacramento Bee on 17 june 1922.
Sir Arthur Cogitates on Baseball
HERE ARE THE DEDUCTIONS, WATSON
NEW YORK. April 25. — Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, creator of Sherlock Holmes and general authority on things supernatural, saw the big leaguers in action at the Polo Grounds last week.
Yesterday after due consideration of the psychic-phenomena of the diamond, he announced he made the following deductions concerning the greatest American pastime:
"No. 1. The average fan is not satisfied without the spiritual presence of Babe Ruth. The game lacks excitement unless the King of Swat is there in person."
"No. 2. Baseball didn't originate in America. It is simply a reincarnation of the old Egyptian game of Rounders, considerably elevated and glorified."
"No. 3. Sir Arthur will henceforth be a baseball fan, instead of a cricket enthusiast."
"No. 4. The way the Giants followed the ground balls was wonderful. The way they judged the flies was remarkable. Outfielders are more impressive than infielders."
He Knows the Game.
Continuing his deductions, Sir Arthur said there really was nothing to prevent him from spiritualizing in professional baseball, as he had been taught the game years age by his American author friend Hamlin Garland. Anyone who could star at cricket could star at baseball, he declared, and since he enjoyed somewhat of a reputation as a cricketer in his youth, equal fame as a "baseballer" should be easily attained — with a little practice, he thought.
The principal merits of the American game, as seen by Sir Arthur that it is livelier and quicker than cricket and does not require such an expensive outfit. On the demerit side, he places the tendency of baseball to become a sport for specializing professional played almost entirely by the young, while in England most men continue their cricketing until they are well past middle age.
The National Temperament.
Sir Arthur said:
As far as the English are concerned there seems to be something in the national temperament that is attracted to cricket. For this reason baseball has never achieved the same popularity in England that cricket enjoys in this country. There are nevertheless, quite a number of baseball clubs springing up in England and in the future I think there will be more.
I think the reason why men in the country do not keep up baseball as the English keep up their cricket is that here the sport is so highly specialised, the great object being to win, rather than the mere enjoyment of the game. On this account a man of middle age might feel he was making a spectacle of himself to indulge in baseball.
Competition is undoubtedly much more intense in this country, and that in probably why, in the various sports, you concentrate to an extent that is unknown to us.
