Now that the fall sports are over and that the various crews and teams are on the eve of beginning vigorous and systematic work in the gymnasium, we think that a word of encouragement and advice to the freshmen about their nine will not be amiss. Eighty-seven has done very well in foot-ball, better in fact than the two upper classes as regards the game with Yale, and we want her to do equally well in base-ball. Not only this, we want eighty-seven to better the record of eighty-six and to turn out a nine that will score two victories over Yale. We are far from believing this impossible, and even consider the chances good provided only work is begun in time and in the right spirit. The material at hand in the class is undoubtedly as good as the average, if not better, and with proper coaching and plenty of enthusiasm, a good nine should be turned out in the spring. It is a disgrace that so many classes in succession have succumbed to their Yale classmates in base-ball, and it is time that a resolute "brace" should be made to turn the tide in the other direction. We have great faith in enthusiasm and firmly believe that if the present freshman go to work with the earnest determination to win and back it up with more faithful and harder work than has been done by their predecessors, they will have great probability of success. Let them once for all decide that they will not follow in the, in more than one sense, "beaten track" of former freshman nines, and add to this the vim and earnestness that are sure to bring victory.