The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-09-20
pERILS AT THE BAT.
DANGER FROM PITCHED BALLS
ILLUSTRATED IN THE CASE
OF GEORGE PAINTER.
NO SCHOOL FOR TwlRLERs.
ANsoN PREFERS THE STILL HINT
METHOD OF FINDING NEW
PLAHERs.

METHOD OF FINDING NEW
PLAYERS.
20 80 st -
Ell
fz1u B. Hf
LOUIsVILLE's VERY HARD LUCK.
awos l@4-s
--5JT- -E7
caylor Says Is Nothing but a
Lack of Nerve at Critical
s6Tfmes.
| 4Ga US
o--4S-
| Special Correspondence Of the Globe.
NEW YORK, Sept. 1.-THE most
remarkable accident which ever
occurred to a professional base
ball player has just been reported The
victim is George Paynter, second base
| man of the Mobile club of the Southern
league. Some time ago he was hit in
the temple by pitched ball and fell
senseless. Though after short time
| he was restored to consciousness, he
did not recover from the blow. His in
jury gradually developed into a violent
species of insanity. After two weeks
OF care from the doctors the unfor-
tunate young man was pronounced in
custody at an asylum for the insane
Nothing but a surgical operation has
any chance of bringing him back to
realization of life, and even such a
course would not assure proper relief.
The nearest similar accident to that
winch wrecked Paynter's life occurred
at Cincinnati back in the sos The
sufferer was w. K. Watkins, present
manager of the Indianapolis Western
League club. At that time he was
playing third base for one of the
American association teams. The Gin
c1nnatfs had a young German pitch
ing who was noted for his wild deliv-
cry One Of his tangent" curves hit
Watkins squarely on the left temple.
The injured man fell as if shot and
was carried to the clubs office, where
doctor set to work to revive him.
When he did regain consciousness, he
became so violent that it required the
united strength of four men to hold
him while the physician administered
morphine hyperdermically in such
quantities that his awful suffering was
dulled. For three days he had to be
kept under the influence of anaesthe-
tics. In due time he recovered, but
just above the spot where the ball hit
him there appeared spot of hair on
his otherwise dark head which was
white as snow, the effect Of that blow
from the pitched ball. He bears that
peculiar mark today.
There is playing in one of the Ma
tional league teams young man who
is a great credit to. his profession be-
yond his worth as a player. l refer to
Charles Dexter, of the louisville team.
This story of success is rather peculiar.
Dexter is only twenty years old and
is graduate of Suwanee University
Of the South, where he was for three
years catcher for the varsity nine. At
ter graduating hezawent to Indianapolis
and was made. private secretary to
Hon. John G.. Shanklin, then secretary
of the HOLSTER rstate.s dFrom that posi-
ton he drifteds into journalism and
went to Evansville, where he became a
reporter for the Tribune, In his leisure
hours young Dexter played with the
strong Evansville base ball team On
visit of the Louisvilles to that city
last year Dexter's playing so favorably
impressed the Louisville manager that
an offer from the club was made so
tempting in its provisions that Dexter
accepted it and became a player in
the National league. Besides his re-
markable fielding, good batting and
"heady" work while playing, this
young man brings into the profession
a high standard Of intelligence and
polished manners, SO much needed
among professional players. If there
were more Dexters, Ponds, Tenneys.
Smiths and Lewises in the National
league it would be better for the great
sport.
The addition Of another victim of
consumption by the recent decease of
Curt Welsh to the already long list of
baseball players who have died from
the fell disease has once more raised
the query, Does a ball players life in
wife the greatest scourge Of mankind?
A good proportion of these cases can
be traced indirectly to intemperance
in the use of liquors, irregularity of
their manner of living, and indulgence
III excuses of all kinds. But the fact
cannot be controverted that the early
training which baseball player re-
QuireS to get into form has a good
deal to do with It, Arson has been
held up as living argument against
this theory, but 1t Is not a fitting ex-
ample. Arson requires training, as well
as every large bodied ball player, but
have the veterans own words for 1t
that he never really goes out Of train
ing. All through the fall and winter
he keeps active, never fails to indulge
in long walks, a spin on his wheel. an
hour or two at billiards or a hunting
trip now and then to the woods of the
Northwest. Thus in the spring he has
very little super1uous flesh to train
off. Those who are injured by the
process are the inactive members of
the profession, who fatten during the
winter like a hog, by inactivity and
good living, and then get rid Of their
excessive pounds in the spring by
month Of violent exercise.
Last year advocated scheme to re-
plenish National league clubs with
young players who would not have to
be tried for half season before they
were known to be competent Of a
failure. 1t was to establish a base ball
training school during the fall and win
ter in the far southwest and put Arson
in charge. Out of hundreds who would
go there to try for the much desired
for league berths. Arson himself has
at last, after carefully considering the
plan, decided that it would not produce
sufficient results to pay for the trouble
even If the scheme should be self sup
porting, because, in his opinion, not
more than one In every hundred "stu-
dents" would at for the league. He
proposes as substitute for the plan
that each National league club Sc
lect a trusted, well Informed agent and
keep him constantly out among the
-,I,1 tpI he