Telegram-herald., 1889-05-11
ssLl PLAYERS s0ssasrtross



- AYE the oo4-so Skleh : eoaseylag bin O.
It's grounds E2ees wagon lo4sisi ~irA b4r-
rsz. prgsaie1 ILs La4-slS are IA t1eln l. =
s.sa q good lax, az2d Ee goas 1ato g4alls
~irn s eoEEssnee that = u itse.f balf It's We
tory rs = = 11ffsreEE player saad ssll lay
~ a ~ ~ t1e L.sacalaS o.aa-Sis iii
Ntta aellghE Ezs sos bes.-.s h-ss Z as raes1s
% erQzs eyed H.za. Hs III kssp tes saoF~Fs
ts.sy marking 1osn srroFs aSgp.lssLs as naBle,
and sls ~orz Ell h-s Characterized bg = list
essns=s All carslessnesS that = 5sgoE II tns
kaoslssizs tA@I Il . psrfscrly useless for him
T. zfEsaiPt " pl4y- lie = 1Iadss Ehs in 4s1cs
Of a. ssil gsaiils and cannot zst Fia u H.
Ca TIE otheF hand when oEs meets ~o-
nlAn similarly sl1lclei hs - drlrious ~ith
-. als1 e i 20 czy Il gaass be 49,
f1iAo- I1s sQulaa ieE - ,41fes An1 sndeasoT
- eyery ertl1cs As posSessss 20 attract her
attention and make Ter look az bim- There
ars sass uaeharilsbls enough - ssy player
wili noS taks tlls trogbis aRlsss = WOMAN u
co9ae.y b4l they az deny T.
~ hen ~ -zard" shaw played On the
" sshlngtous hs wolld nsyec go into ths
pitchers box except from the rear, and he
cosid asser D. lad8eed u ssep into l. with
cut asking pebble Out Re kept a supply
on hand, aud oefors the game enoagh would
be PIT Ia corner of The box - he could kick
one cut when DO started % pitch Shaw had
another peculiariry q always talking u the
batter and although he did this for the pur-
Pase ot diyertlng tie Attention OF the batter,
II became sueh hKed aablt that 10 could
Rot avoid doing 10 when pTacticing
Jack Farrell, wnen 10 captained the team
Ia Washington, usesl 70 p'oasess an ldlosyncrasy
that many u his collsaku@s have. lie woud
maze a little mound Il p--bhles near the posi-
ton hs wAs playing, and bus.e'i himself dur
ing ths gsI4s IhrOsing them into the field.
Tie iinllted himself u a certain number each
inning, and II Was a common sight 10 $50
Capt Jack during TIE morning industriousiy
ss.s.eavoring 70 fnd the same pebbles he had
thrown away the day before.
Many times tbs other members Of the team
undertook 10 play JOKE on Farrell. and as
be made y practice % pick up all the stones
Near his base the boys took good care he
should have fuil supply by planting bushel
or 50 every day for him % p,ck up, and one
morning when he was a little late arriving,
be found choice collection II brick bats
cobbie stones and tin cans nicely arranged
near the base. IL cost him half dollar 10
get a boy % remove the debris, and for
time Farrell stoppei SEARCHING for stones
when the other men were around. bu; he
could not break the fancy, and today he is q
persistent follower 81 H. Many other ball
players have the same habit, and they say it
keeps their mind on the game, and they are
not diverted by the audience.
Billy OBrien, the big hard hitting Arst
bGSenan Of tue Nashingtons, has but one
superstition. When he first came here he
discovered a lttls bunch OF clover near the
base, and thereafter he made practice Of
placing bis glove over IL at the conclusion OF
each inning SO religiously does be believe
this will bring him good luck that when the
season commences he plants a lot Of clover
seed near the base, and ne Is on hand when
the grass IL trimmed 10 see that his clover
patch Is not disturbed.
There are many other instances Of indi-
vidual attempts TO influence the fates. Some
players wear charms, those from the south
usually carrying rabbits feet, and the others
charms Of ali kinds and varieties Ad. Gum
bert, Of the Chicago club used 10 wear a
garter when he was with the Steubenville
club, but he would never tell where be OBJ
tanned IL The recent journey round the
world has furnished the men who made it
with a choice collection OF articles supposed
10 possess so0thsaying properties. Ed. Crane
has monkey ne proposes 10 make his special
divinity during the season, and Fogarty, OF
the Philadelphias, carries with hun lock OF
hair which DO obtained from dusly maiden
81 Honolulu.
\ number OF the players wear rings they
believe posses magic powers, and II they are
given TO them BY some friend after a lucky
game it makes the present ell the more valu-
able. But under no circumstances ever give
Il srs-ft 80,
as an omen Of bad luck, and VIII get rid Il il
at the first opportunity even II they accept
II. which Is doubtful
Players Do not Ike 70 receive presents OF
flowers Just before they 90 % tho bat, for tho
reason it ''hoOdoos" them and they cannot
hit the ball throughout the remainder Of tho
game
4 well known League player, at the begin
ming Of the season, puts black thread in the
toe u the stocking Of his right foot, and al
though be declares II IS done 10 distinguish
thcu, his companions insist that unless he
gets II on the right foot he says he cannot
play.
The carrying Of maScots By tho various
clubs has gone out II fashion somewhat. It
originated in the wild and woOlly west, and
for the next two years afterwards every first
class club had n mascot. The style ran 70
freaks Of nature and a dwarf, "A humpback,
or giant was sure Of an engagement and a
good salary.
Tse ouly club in the country today that
has mascot Is the ChicagOs. Spalding
picked up a Bcngalsse boy on his late tour,
and pr0poses TO make a mascot Of him, but
the games Of the past few days would indi-
cate he 3 rot realizing expectations The
Steubenville club used 10 carry a rooster WITH
them, but some irreyerent boys in neigh
boring town killed 10, and thereafter the club
was simply a mat for the other clubs 70
prsncs over.
The recent trip of the Cuban Giants fur
nished them an excellent opportunity % lay
IN q stock q rabbits feet, the animal beng
dled i7 tle traditional manner by the iyht
- the moon When the "Jintsn were hero
tbeY were beseged by the coiored population
q -he city and fabulous prices were offered
for their god luck embleus, but they stead
tasty refused 20 part with them
There are numerous other cases of rlascoss
nud believers in good ard bsd luck. bat "a
the garo advances each yesr the class q bah
players are improving and are men q better
education than formery. snd are losing a
great many 4 the pecuhsritiss which for
merly distinguished them " ashiogton Post
Grow ing Corn
Ma H p Alvrrd director u tha Mar