MITCHELL LAYS BASEBALL LOSSES TO INDIFFERENCE

Coach Mitchell of the University baseball team, in a statement to the CRIMSON last night, smashed into Harvard indifference when he charged that it was the most important factor which was placing the University baseball teams in a position where they might be trampled on by their opponents.

"During the last few years at Harvard," he said, "baseball has fallen into about the worst rut that it has ever known at the University. This is undoubtedly due to a great many causes but the most important one, I believe, is the lack of interest which is shown by the undergraduates. Less enthusiasm and spirit of competition is being shown on the baseball diamond than in any other major sport.

Berates Wasters Who Shirk Job

"This spirit of baseball indifference has got to be changed and I'm going to make it part of my job as head coach to see that it is changed. Too many men are going down to Soldiers Field to while away the spring afternoons and not to put all they have got into building up a better Harvard ball team. Also, there are about half the men down there that ought to be supporting the sport in a college of this size. Too many potential ball players are fooling around with crew and minor sports at which they can never succeed and others are spending the spring in doing nothing at all. Baseball players can be developed and all we ask for is a bunch of men who are willing to work and learn the game.

Plenty of Openings on 1926 Team

"This year the baseball team has a particularly big job cut out for it and nothing but a team of fighters can pull it through a successful season. Last year we were at the bottom of the Big Three cellar and it's going to be hard work getting out this year. At present the prospects are not as good as they were in 1925. I don't think the undergraduate body wants to stand for another pair of scores such as 25 to 15 and 18 to 4 at the hands of Yale.

"There are plenty of openings for places on the 1926 ball team and now is the time to get in shape for the season. I would like to see every man who is not an absolute necessity to another spring sport come out and help us put Harvard baseball back on the map."