The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-07-15
CAPTAIN d. l.. FoUrz OF DnooKLYN.

CAPIAlN d. l.. FOUTZ OF BROOKLYN.
out regard to price, size or quality, spend
money as If their fathers owned all tho
sugar stock in the country, and kick like
bucking bronchos If there nro not at least
Six entrees on the bill of fare Unlike Ia
boring men, they go to bed about midnight
and get up when they awake next day.
Their work" consists of not moro than
three hours activity out of tho "a, and
when they can't get paid for such service
they usually follow it rs II pastimc. Such
is n baseball players life, and yet we arc
told that labor organizations arc in loving
sympathy with tho men who compose
National league teams. If that be true. it
Is ono of tho incomprchensiblc phases of
the mind of man with which we some
times come in contact.
While or this subject want to saw that
no other class of men dare practice so
much lntcmpcrancc without interfering
With their vocation us baseball plnycrS
Tho word intcmpcranco is used hero in its
broad sense and is not restricted to the
uso of liquors Among the mass of Dro-
fcssional baseball players temperate habits
In sleep, diet and general conduct is very
rare. 1t is this evil of carclcssncss which
to great extent turns the victorious Gu
rcer or home team into defeat as soon as
1t goes out upon the road Unnatural
lessness in drink do the business. Tho
players stop at first class hotels, where the
faro is much above their home supplies.
AS consequence they cram their stomachs
with the Injuries of the hotel table and
then try to play ball. l heard n manager
recently complain after the defeat of his
team that his players persisted in Filling
up" on buildings, pies and leo cream, and
then while thus stuffed tried to play baso
ball
We arc all familiar also with the sight
or team coming in from tho field. in
ming after inning each man helping
himself literally from tho contents of tho
water keg. Did anybody ever hear of n
prizeflghtcr eating five pound dinner Of
SIX or seven courses two or three hours be-
foro he went into tho ring? If so, was the
foolish man ever known to win2 Did they
ever hear OF n pugilist drinking half pint
or water between each round? Why, even
race horses are not permitted 10 eat or
drink for long period before each race.
A baseball players skill lies largely in
bright, steady accurate eye, and there
fore we hear the coachers frequently cry
out, Good eye, old man-good eyel" Yet
an oyorfcd stomach or ono that ia sWeIled
with water is sure to i'll affect tho oyo and
consequently the players skill. The man.
ayers of ball teams will never got tho gamo
down to its perfection till they take stems
to. restrain players from overindulgcnce
of their appctitcs by means of some cffica-
cious rules which can DO carried ont with
general application.
Two years ago the Cincinnati club lost
the morning Fourth Of July gamo by the
terrific bat punishment of their pitcher.
Frank Foreman, and the defeat was SO dis
graceful that it cost tho club hundreds
of dollars by reducing tho size of tho after
noon crowd. Foreman excused his DOOR
work on that occasion by declaring that
he had eaten two many batter cakes for
breakfast and felt 'loggy'' while no was
In the box. O'Connor of tho Cleyolands
received the nickname of Peach Pie'' be-
cause he ate three pieces of peach pic for
dessert before going out to play q game one
day and us II consequence had three or
four passed balls for each piece of the pie.
The players who know tho benefit of
diet and practice it are n very small per
centago of the whole Guy Hecker was
ono of the minority class. He seldom atc
moro than plate of soup for luncheon or
dinner before u game in which ho pitched.
Jim White, George Wright and O'Rourkc
were players who controlled their appe-
tttes In Difference TO desire to play GOOD
ball. On the other hand, Rusic Mulianc.
Stivctts, Burns, Boyle and others whom l