The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-04-09
BASEBALL AND CYCLING
Is Wheeling Proper Training for
the Diamond?
A Growing Tendency to Make Man.
ayers Out OF Practicai Players.

While NJ Macon with his team Manager
Henlon OF the Baltimore club took occa
sion 10 express his opposition TO the use of
the bicycle by professional baseball play
ers. Several of the Orioles took bicycles
with them To the training grounds, and
McGraw got a fall, .injuring one OF his
knees. Tho injury was slight, but IL con-
WINGED Hanlon that the "bikc" Is not q
good thing for ballplaycr after the pro-
Hminary season opens
a contrast Co Hanlon's opinion is that
OF Manager Stallings, who trained his
Philadelphia team at Augusta, not many
miles from Macon Stallings is "A devotco
of the wheel himself, and probably moro
Of his players are wheelmcn than can no
found in any other team. This fact Is due,
no doubt, largely 10 their former manager,
the late Harry Wright, who advocated its
use by his men ana used one himself. The
president OF the club, A. j. Reach, Is also
n bicycle enthusiast. so StalliDgs mar
shals his men every day, and they take
run of 10 or 90 miles into the country as a
preliminary of their duy's work.
Joyce doesn't Tide, and has no use for
the wheel among his men. In training he
relied largely on cross country runs of
about ton miles a day. "That," said he,
twill soon demonstrate which men have
good, sound stomachs, for without such
an organ the player cannot make run of
that kind, aud without good stomach
ballplayer viii never bo a success" T" Anson
Is whoclman, or was before he became
an actor. But he got such header last
fall n year ago that he lay In half stupor
for several days, during which time report
has it he said nothing but wen win i'm
O walk next year. Since that accident
uncle's ardor for bicycling has cooled, and
he devotcs moro time while training to
running
I am not sure that u has ever been told,
nor yet absolutely certain that it is wholly
true, but we'll authenticated story goes
that John NJ. Ward owed his retirement as
pitcher TO the bicycle. twas in the days
OF the big front wheel, back i'm the eighties
Several of the New York players got the
craze, and an onir issued by the club for
bid the use cf bicycle by any member OF
the team. Ward. lowevcr, took spin on
the "sly" one nlcft ing, and reaped the re-
ward in fali snd an injury TO his pitch
ing arm. The mattor was kept quiet, and
the injury went on record as a sore arm.
Coming down - the question of man
ayers, another important fact turns up
namely, the number of player managers is
league three OF the i2 clubs will enter this
season with rlaycr-managers which had
nonplaying managers at the beginning OF
last year-to wit, the Pittsburg, ST.
Louis and Louisville. Every one of the
six western clubs has its manager playing
on the nine--Donovan for Pittsburg,
Ewing for Cincinnati, Rogers for Louis
Vile, Dowd Tor So. Louis, Anson for Chi
cago and Tebcau for Cleveland. Joyce Of
the New Yorks "a the only playcr-manager
of the eastern section, but three of the 9TH
er fiye-Hanlon, sStallings and Barnie--
were not many years ago professional
players. Se-lc and Schmelz alone have
had no professional experience worth not
ing
This tendency TO put teams in charge Of
men who have bad practical experience Is
extending. The Western league has added
two TX professionals to its list of playing
managers In Mack Of Milwaukee and Al
len of Detroit. The list out west includes
Wilmot at Minneapolis, Comskey at st.
Paul, Mack at Milwaukee, Allen at De
troit, LOTUS at Columbus and Watkins at
indianapolis. All have i'm their time
achieved regulations on the diamond
though Wilmot alone continues To wear
uniform and play with his team.
An old adago says that the greatest mis-
fortune that can bcfall man next to be-
ing killed in battle is 20 have his name
spelled wrong in tho published list of the
lost. There arc two ball players who must
realize something of the truth of this old
saw l refer To Jones of Brooklyn and
Souders of the New York club. Where the
latter's name appears once as Souders it
appears ten times as Sanders-the "u" be-
ing turned upside down. With Jones'
name the trouble comes at the other end.
Everybody knows how TO spell Jones, but
the name which his mother gave him is
not accorded TO him in print once i'm goo
times. You SEQ IL spelled Fielder" 1t
is Fielden, but the final "n' was somehow
interpreted ON "r' by some printer. So it
went at that and multiplied till " Fielder
Jones became stereotyped, as it were. Be-
ing fielder by profession, the mistake is
not altogether inappropriate.
Sometimes pronunciation of names Is
varied and amusing. Dahlen of the Chi
Cages is one of the unfortunates who have
several names among the rooters. He is
Day-le and Daw- len when his name is
Dah-len, Just as spelled, the having the
sound IL has in have. Dohcny of the New
York club has been called Do-hee ny, !
Do-ney and Do.hen-ny He pronounces it
with the accent ON the first syllable--Doh-
n-ny-the h being treated as silent. Hun
dreds still call Rusie Rus-sie, with the u
having the sound IL has in hurry. Lath- |
am was frequently called Latham, with
out giving the first its long sound. Te- |
beau has half dozen different names |
But LajOic gives the most bother Co the |
footers. Lay-joy is what they call him, |
aud l suppose that will 10. Certain il is !
that nobody can ever induce the boys on |
the blecchcrs 10 twist their jaws so that |
they can give him the name as he claims |
it I'm OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES Juliet |
knew her business when she asked, |
Whats in namey' and her philosophy |
comes down 60 modern baseball The |
rooters don't care little Bit how player |
pronounces his name II he but "swats"
the ball good and hard and makes Eight |
ming" fielding plays. Otherwise, so far
as they are concerned, his name may DO
"Mud
There is tendency in the National
lpauup fhia vpnF ,purp than pVor lefnre IN