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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (April 6, 1950)
| DUCKTRACKS I By PETE CORNACCHIA Emerald Sports Writer Several persons have asked me about this new one-second pause ruling for baseball pitchers—what's it all about, and that sort of thing. (1 hat really isn t true. Nobody ever asks me to explain any thing, except three weeks ago when there’s a question on the board which says to explain the significance of the bottle opener in the days of Nicholas II. Be specific and brief. Nevertheless, we ve brought up the subject of the one-second pause ruling). 1 he ruling is only five words longer than it was last year and all the years before that. It s of concern only when there are run ners on first or second and the pitcher has his windup taken away. The 1949 Good Book for horsehide disciples stated that in such a situation the pitcher, after taking his stretch, “must re turn to a natural pitcher’s position arid stop before starting bis delivery of the ball to the batsman." This year’s Rules Commit tee didn t think that was good enough and added the stipulation that the stop must be of at least one second. All in all ,the effort was sup posed to be for the benefit of the batter but actually it provides comfort and aid for the pitcher, for he can use that one second to keep a steady eye on the base runner. The penalty for failing- to halt all of one second is a balk called by the ump, which of course hurts with runners on. Some of the nastiest remarks against the ruling so far have come from the clnickers in the Pacific Coast League, with the old-timers making the loudest noise. Old mossbacks such as Grumpy Guy Fletcher and Red Adams shouldn't have any DON KIRSCH troume witn sucn a minor thing, but perhaps they get as con fused with all the petty changes as we do with the constant asin ine change:* hi registration procedure here. If the PCL managers fined guilty hurlers 50 bucks a throw, as did Portland's Bill Sweeney until Adams had four balks in one game, it’s still doubt ful that the total sum would equal the several thousand dollars raked in on late fees this term at Oregon. Sure, this isn't the best place to discuss late fees but it fits in with the idea that most of the law makers can't let a good thing stand as is. There have to be such things as the two-minute rule, the platoon system, and the three green, two yellow, and two pink cards. Anyway, there’s little evidence that any of Don Kirsch’s pit chers are bothered by this full-second-pause business. So far this week, Mel Krause, Swede Johnson, Jim Hanns, and the rest are taking plenty of time after the stretch before firing at the plate. Another change we’ve got to face around here is the absence of heavily-bearded faces which were common on college ball clubs during the past few years. Most of the veterans either have .^graduated or signed with professional clubs, which makes this a building year for Ivirsch. The players don’t reminisce over the social opportunities along Pigalle or Piccadilly, or join in songs about the clover. Seems as though the talk is more about just plain baseball and the chatter is louder. About the Gals, Bless 'Em Something that never changes is the female baseball fan. We’ve got to give the jokers in the golden chair credit for not at tempting to change the wording in this complicated field. The dears (the girls, not the rule committees) seem to have difficulty in grasping the big picture, a trouble which brings incoherent statements similar to those heard in English Lit. For instance, when the locals are behind a run or two but have the hags (baseball term in this case) loaded, with two out. and the visiting pitcher is winding up, does a gal usually yell “Slam 'er, Joe!”? No, chances are she’ll turn to the boy friend and ask him to get her a sack of peanuts. She's hungry. Buck Barks and Bites Speaking of people who do a lot of talking at ball games with-* out saying much, Buck Bailey again will bring more than his foghorn voice to Eugene a week from tomorrow when the Ducks host Washington State in the conference opener at Howe Field. Bailey could come to town by himself and draw a crowd large enough to give Leo Harris a restful night, but he always brings his Cougar nine—usually a pennant-bound outfit. Bailey has lost pitchers Rockey, Stiles, and Torgeson to graduation but word has it that he has some more good hurlers— among them is big Gene Conley, who lost a three-hitter recently to Whitman. k Anybody Can Make Music, Spaeth Tells Eugene Audience By WALLY BENSON Sigmund Spaeth, noted New York author, musician, and nni sic critic told a small audience of townspeople and student: 1.uesday night that anyone can make a little music for his owi pleasure" if he likes it well enough. Speaking in MacArthur Court on “Music For Fun." Spaetl completely captivated his audience with his off-the-cuff com merits on popular songs that have been lifted' from the classics and his instructions to the novice musician on how to take a few chords and make his own music. Tuesday night a renowned mu sician, author, and critic brought his talents to the University of Oregon. Although no admission was charged, only about 400 per sons attended. On reaching the microphone, Spaeth looked over the sparsely populated auditorium and quip ped, “Well anyway, I can see that we are represented tonight by quality rather than quantity.” “Whatever is worth playing well is worth playing bad,” he stated. “Only one person out of 10,000 has real musical talent that can be de veloped, but anybody at all can learn to play the piano in five min utes—for fun. Music Like Bridge “Music should have a sand-lot appeal. As long as the player likes it and is having fun, that’s all that matters. Music is like bridge. If there weren t so many bad bridge players, there wouldn’t be so many people playing the game.” Speaking of the “classics” Spaeth said that they are the compositions which endure because of their per manent appeal to the intellect, the emotions, and the physique. ‘The average life of a popular tune is about six weeks,” he stated “When the people get tired of a hit tune they reject it and get some thing else—something new but not any better. Tschaikowsky Has Schmaltz “Now Tschaikowsky’s melodies have what we today call “schmaltz” or “oomph” and many a hit tune has been based on a simple, beauti ful passage from one of his sym phonies or concertos. “Chopin is another. Following re lease of the motion picture “A Song To Remember” an entire new and enormous audience was introduced, for the first time, to the works of this composer. His ‘Polonaise’ is the most popular record ever sold by R.C.A. Victor Records. From that song came the popular hit tune ‘Till the End of Time’. It was the most popular song of the year.” Known For Three Notes The popular song writers got to Rachmaninoff just before h i s death, the music critic continued. Most people, according to Spaeth, knew Rachmaninoff for his Prelude in C Minor. (That is—they knew the first three notes of the piece). Following the appearance of about six different pictures that featured his Second Piano Concerto, the composer was once again made popular by the song writers who came out with “Full Moon and Empty Arms.” Best Arrangement Stating that the people will find their way to the permanent music in the long run, Spaeth told of the musician who, after hearing all the modern arrangements of Rach maninoff’s Second Piano Concerto, Summer Courses Dniversity of Madrid Study and Travel A rare opportunity to enjoy me morable experiences in learning and living. For students, teach ers, others yet to discover fasci nating, historical Spain. Courses include Spanish language, art and culture. Interesting recre ational program included. For details, write now to Spanish Student Tours 500 Fifth Av., New York 18.N.Y. heard, for the first time, the Horo witz-Toscanini performance of the original. “The man was visibly moved',” he stated. “He said that it was the best arrangement of the song that he had heard yet!” In one of his many many humor ous statements during the course of the evening, the critic mentioned the two lawsuits charging plagiar ism against the composer of “Na ture Boy.”' “I have seen pictures of the com poser,” he announced. “I think only one suit would be enough.” French Table Today The French Table will be held at noon today at the Anchorage. The Thursday gatherings are open to any interested persons who speak French. CAMPUS CALENDAR 12:00 Order of the O, Alpha Tau Omega. 5:30 Inter-fraternity Council, Beta Theta Pi, Alpha Phi Om ega, YMCA. 6:30 Scabbard and Blade, Room 1, ROTC Building. 6:45 Young Republicans, 2 Or* gon. | Styled right for young men of all ages Full-Bodied and rugged ■ Velvety Corduroy College Cream $4.98 to $8.£>5 YOUR. DIMES AND DOLLARS’ mi wo? § punr I OMR! your help is needed NOW support the foreign students at Oregon Contribute generously and help others who are seeking an education in a foreign country WORLD SERVICE STUDENT FUND