Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-09-30
BASE BALL SUPERSTITIONS.
Some Of the Signs and 0nlens Believed
i'm by PrOfessiOnal Players.
From the Chicago Herald.

From the Chicago Herald.
An incident of the Worcester-C Chicago game
played here Saturday was of a peculiar nature
illustrating phase of the character of prOfes
sional ball players with which the public is prob
ably not acquainted. A. G. Spalding. manager
of the Chicago club, was seated in the reporters
stand. He occupied a chair near the east end
of the stand while the first five innings Of the
game were being played The Worcesters had
gained run in the fourth inning, but the
home team had been successfully retired for
five straight innings. The Chicagos were
playing their best. but luck was dead against
them. At this stage Dalrymple, the veteran
left-fielder of the Chicago nine. came over to
where Manager Spading sat and said: '.Mr
Spading. will you move over into some other
chair? That was the seat Harry Wright occu-
pied during the games we had with his club
Spading laughed, but hurried out of his place
to chair further down the line. The home
team made three runs that inning and won the
game by a score Of to l.
Are ball players very superstitious:" asked
the Herald man after the game. as he was leav-
ing the park with Mr.. Spaldng.
We'll somewhat replied Mr.. Spalding. and
he proceeded to explain some of the incidents
and conditions popularity supposed to influence
the play.
The players as surely believe that ducks or
geese on the nome ground preSage defeat for
that team as they do that an umpire can mate
rally add to the discomfort of nine The
marriage of player during the season is con-
sidered a lucky event to the team. The time OF
the great Troy-ButfalO game, which lasted for
fifteen innings early in the season. the score
stood three to three for fourteen innings when
the Buffalo, seeing a single CLEAN of sunlight
which burst through q mass of surly Clouds to
light upon the bench on which they sat await
ing their turns at the bat. took heart at once
went vigorously and confidently to work land by
hard hitting and great luck brought in the run
were they that it would be hard to convince
them that the golden rift in the clouds was not
their lucky ''streak
A great many superstitiOns have passed out
of memory of even the oldest player, but a large
percentage are still remembered and OCCASION
ally quoted by the boys. 1t is said that Brouth-
ers. the massive batsman Of the Buffalo team,
and who leads the list as safe hitter. would
never hit the first ball pitched him under any
circumstances, and when he so far forgot as to
welt the sphere on the first attempt he would
be entirely untitled for any good playing for the
rest of the game. Carruthers had ''lucky
stone" that he never left at home when PLAYING
game. An old legend that formerly prevailed
among the pioneer players was to the effect that
a white horse seen by player on the day of the
game, followed by bell ringing of any sort, was
a sure omen that the club would suffer inglorl-
Gus defeat. 1t had been tested too often the
early birds used to declare, not to come true.
The entire team will never sit down at one time
on BENCH neither will they allow dog to cross
the diamond before a ball has been batted If they
can help it.