Evening star., 1886-07-17
suPerstitiOns That Prevail Among Pro.
feSsiOnal Ball TOssers.
MAsCOrS. SIGNS AND oMENs-rHEIR EFFECT
ON PLAYERS-MEN WHO LOSE HEART WHEN
THE oNENs ARE BAD-LUCKY HoRSE-SHoEs,
FOUR LEAF CLovERs AND PEA PODS &C

MAscors, SIGNS AND oMENs-rHEIR EFFECT
| ON PLAYERS-MEN WHO LOSE HEART WHEN
| THE oNENS ARE BAD-LUCKY HoRSE-sHoEs,
FOUR LEAF CLovERs. AND PEA PODS, &C.
"Yes, sir. it's a fact" said John Morrill,. the
genial and respected captain of the Boston
club, that professional bail tossers a rule
| very superstitiOus." He was talking to a
| STAR reporter in the lobby of the National
| hote! after cleaning up the Capitol park for the
| third successive time with the National team.
1T is nothing more than natural though he
| continued, "and is not as much due to the
| ignorance OF the men as is sometimes supposed.
You much chance enters into every
| game of ball that the boys who play game
| alter game, gradually become impressed with
| the belief that they can read in advance
| certain signs or omens which will have
more more or lie les Sc ehGca upoin tner Individual
| the whole think it's very good thing, if the
| bad signs do not outnumber the good ones. A
| SuperstltlouS player, who has seen his fsvOrite
| omen on the way to the grounds, will play with
/ more confidence. and will, therefore, play a
| better game of ball than if he started In heavy
| hearted aud sure of defeat The boys are always
| on the lookout for something to- bring them
| good luck, but won't see a bad sign III they can
| help II, and that Is the proper way. A good
| many players are more superSIitiOuS than they
will acknowledge, although in reality they
don't believe in any such ideas They begin by
being in fun in claiming that this or that will
| bring them good luck, and the first thing they
know they are placing more dependence than
| they imagine on these signs, particularly if
! they happen to prophesy right once or twice.
| MAsCoTs.
"The mascot business seems to be the most
| popular luck-bringing idea," continued Morrill,
! I'VE haven't had a mascot, but We saw the
| Kansas City's when we were out there. For the
| first game they picked up kid with two or
| three rows of teeth, and dressed him up. He
didn't work very we'll, for they lost the game
and nothing more was heard OF him. The next
day they had a great big colOred man in uniform,
and, bless your soul, they won the game. They
were sure their new mascot did the business.
The papers published his picture. and he was
little stronger team, though, for the mascot
can't do it all. The Chicagos have this year u
little fellow named Willie Hahn, who appears
sons special proiege. The Chicagos doomed
the mascot idea this year, but it is not a new
one one by any means; ne ms. In George Wrish,
him up and kept him with the team for two
Years. and we won tine championship both
seasons. Another year we had dwarf tor
mascot. but he didn't prove a very successful
o ne. and We tailed to win the pennant. Mascots
are good things To encourage the boys, but you
have got To have pretty strong team to en-
courage the mascot"
GOOD AND BAD OMENS.
'What are some OF the superstitious ideas be-
side the ma>cot?' asked The STAR.
They have all kinds of good luck signs," he
replied. II remember in 'S3, when were
way Dehlnu III the race, Oi our boys a
horse cast shoe lii front OF the hotel in De-
troIt. He stepped out into the street and picked
1t up. On 1t was the mark 'O'Win,' only the
name OF the Detroit blacksmith who made the
shoe, but the finder took il as "a good omen. He
didn I say anything about it, but quietly hid il
in his gripsach and carried it with him The
boys sooE got on to ii and regarded
it as good luck sign, and the first
thing we knew We were winning games right
along, and ended the season in the lead. Tne
boys laid our success to the horseshoe, and SO
did old man OWN. He never fails To come
and see us when We are in Detroit.
"Burdock is the Superstitious member of
our team now,' continued the veteran ball
tos>er: "He is fuli of it. II he a
watering cart On the way from the hotel
~ the ball grounds he is just We'll salts
fed that the game il ours ii il had been
played and recorded in our favor He has
to see the cart though after leaving the hotel
and before reaching the grounds, or lis no good.
You may be sure he gets Il seat in the
and he keeps his neck craued in every d-
rection. All OF Il sudden he yeis out: There
en- to-day. and then settles back in his seat
perfectly contented. Sutton got four leaf
clover in "a letter the other day from his wife,
marked good luck 'Sut' keeps it with him
w lie sent IL you know. Doesn't matter if he
doesn't believe in it. begin To think, though,
that the people interested in base ball are about
as supersIitious as the players. We are all the
time receiving something anonymously. which
Will be sure to give Us good luck. Since I've
beat all the mascots, big little
i Il
just nine peas. The letter which accompanied
il said that good luck is bound to follow Lhe
ball tos>er who possesses such pod. What did
do with ii? We got it yet. There is no use
wantonly breaking your luck if you have any.
IL amt do any harm. I'm not superstitious
you know, but then what's the use throwing
away what may be a good thing"
PLAYERS WHO BELIEVE IN SIGNS
In talking with other base ball men THE
STAR reporter learned that ball tossers all over
the country are unanimous m the baIief hat
load of empty barrels seen in the street before a
game means "A sure defeat; nothing can prevent
IT. Carroll, of the Nationals, is full of superst-
tion. He Is u nervous, fidelity fellow, any how
ana his belief i'll good and bad signs is proven
bal Shaw, too, has strong ideas about luck
1t Will be remembered how he changed his red
stockings To- blue ones during game this sum-
mer, hut was batted harder after the change
than before.
were brimln over with superstition. During
the trips To Richmond White noticed that
when they passed an engine-house on the way
To the ball grounds they Invariably lost but
tnat II they passed 1T returning from the
grounds they were AS sure winners. After
that he always insisted upon avoiding the
engine-house on the way to the grounds with
the understanding that they should pass it in
returning.
WOULD NOT BE "HoODOoED"
The team was usually conveyed 10 the Rich
mond grounds in a carriage drawn by a pair of
white mules. One day a brown mule had been
substituted for one of the white ones. Gagus
could not be induced to get into the carriage
until the driver had gone to the stable aud
hltched up the other white mule. He wouldn't
he "noodOoed' he said. On that occasion the
RIchmonds were whtewashed.
superstition runs riot with the famous Chi
ctiSO team, and they are all more or less swayed
by IT.. III one OF the players thinks he has been
"hoodooed' he lays OFT the next day. FOrtu-
nately they have enOuS h good players to Weld
10 such iancieS without materially injuring
tneir chances OF victory. Capt. Arson went
fishing one day. and caus Int IA very peculiar Il,
unknown To ANY of his friends. He believed il
grounds the next day.
Broutners, the big first baseman of the Detroits
believes he Will have bad luck il his gloves are
not placed upon tue foul line just back OF first
base when his side Is at the bat When the De-
trolls We're mere Crane, iii going To right field
klckeu bfouthers gloves OH the line to break
his luck, but the owner had his eye on them
and The game could not proceed until he had
put them back III their accustomed spot
Many prayers believe that certain routes
must be followed i'll going To ball games also
that they must get in and out of the convey
auces III d certain way, bad luck will result
Iney always give in To such feelings although
often they say nothing about them
Hoover. VINO played here last year, ALWAYS had
Il certain series OF performances to be gone
through with before he would appear on the
grounds. 1t was Il question, though whether
he did not pursue sucn u course in order TO puy
Others who were nrmer but Quieter believers in
mystic powers.
A SCARCITY OF HACKS.
whv Some ~