THE NINES.

The university nine is making the most of its gymnasium opportunities before beginning out-door practice, which will probably be in about a month. The candidates at present are Lowell, Smyth, Fuller and Edmands from '83, Fletcher, Keep, Lovering, Hamlin and White from '84, Crocker (captain), Winslow, Hoyt, Follansbee and Beaman from '85, Allen, Phillips and Kimball from '86. Besides these are Coolidge, Nichols, Lemoyne and Baker, members of last year's nine, some of whom will undoubtedly play in the spring. Three squads have been formed which alternate in using the cage, chest weights and running track between 2 and 5 P. M. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and in using the chest weights and running track from 4 to 5 on the other days of the week. The cage is generally in use by the nine from 11 to 12 every morning. From the above list of candidates there will be selected early in the spring two nines, a university and a second nine, each with its own captain.

The substitutes of the university will play on the second nine, and in that way get better practice in their respective positions than they could in any other way, while the pitchers will alternate between the two nines. The second nine will play frequently with the university and also with the freshman, besides, possibly, an occasional game with outside amateur nines like the Beacons and Hyde Parks.

The carrying out of the above scheme will probably necessitate giving up the idea of class nines, for the second nine, reinforced as it will be by others who will begin practice in the spring, will include nearly all the good players of the college, and moreover there will hardly be room enough for more than three nines to practise on Holmes and Jarvis fields. This is much to be regretted, for class games would be of great value in bringing out new men and in keeping up a live interest in base-ball. Still these ends can in some degree be accomplished by games in the fall, and many of the advantages looked for from class nines will come through forming the second nine.

Of course the members of the second nine will have to keep in some kind of training, as any one of them will be liable to be called on to fill a vacancy on the university nine at any time. The work, however, will not be as strict as that of the university nine and so men may be induced to play in it who would not be willing to undergo a more thorough course of training.

The freshman nine still continues its work as already described in the HERALD. The prospects for a good nine are excellent, if faithful practice is kept up through the spring. To these, as well as to candidates for the university nine, we commend the advice of Captain Crocker, to make base-ball, next to study, the primary and not the secondary object of attention.