THE University Nine has been the theme of an unusually large amount of comment this year, and the fact that that comment is not very favorable shows that there must be some points open to criticism. Several games were lost by a hair's-breadth, and we were led to attribute this result to "hard luck;" but we think that the causes of our ill-success lie deeper than that. The base-running, on the whole, has been poor, and it is safe to say that the second game, if no other, with Yale, was lost through this deficiency. The fielding has been fair, with two or three exceptions; while the batting has been extremely variable. The great trouble has been in finding a catcher; but we think that had adequate efforts been made during the winter this weak spot might have been removed. The long months of practice in the Gymnasium go for nothing, if they are not used in bringing out new men, and in training players - especially pitchers and catchers - for every contingency. That this difficulty was not foreseen, or, if foreseen, was not properly encountered, seems to have been the chief trouble this year. We make these remarks at this time, not to find fault unnecessarily, but in the hope of spurring them on to correct, as far as they are now able, their present deficiencies, before the final games with Yale are played.