He becomes totally inebriated. As he lays his head down on his arm a customer walks to a telephone booth. He asks for the sports desk and tells the person who answers that he knows why Alex fell at the ballgame today: "He's a lush."
The scene shows a person who has overindulged in alcohol, leading to loss of coordination and judgment. As he rests his head on his arm, a customer approaches a phone booth, seeking information about the sports department. The individual shares his opinion about Alex's mishap at the baseball game: "He's clearly an excessive drinker."