The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1902-06-11
BALL TEAM ON THE ROAD
SWINGING ROUND THE CIRCUIT WITH
A SSloNAL NINE.

| Annoynnces TINT Confront the Iall Toss.
| er - Drawing for Berths "A Peculiar
Class of Men who Esteem It u Great
privilege to Entertain the Players.
! From the moment that the profess
sional ball player finishes a series of
games on his home grounds until he
has completed the trip around the cir
cult that is provided by the league
| schedule ne is harassed by two fears.
The first and the g1 eater is that he
may be allotted the upper berth in
| sleeping-cars, and the second the
dread of losing his playing form by
lack of exercise.
A third annoyance, notwithstanding
the fact that the best of hotels are
provided for the players by the club
| owners. is the occasional lack of suf-
| fiCient food. That is, these strong
healthy bail players insist that they
do not always obtain what their ap-
retites demand. And there is rea-
son for their complaint, although 1t
is not the owners fault.
1t is the sleeping car berth, how
ever. that is really the bane of the
professional players existence. He
will endure almost anything in the
way of discomfort without a complaint,
hut will grumble during the thou
sand and FIVE hundred miles of travel,
grumble and complain like L spoiled
child, If he is compelled to sleep, as
he describes 1t, ''under the car roof"
Very frequently when the ball clubs
make long jumps. ike the trip from
New York to st. Louis. a special car
Is furnished to the club. II Is given
exclusively to the players for the trip.
There they live, happy, laughing,
good-natured crowd, until 1t is time to
retire on the first night out.
II there be young player or two
young players on the team, woe to
them! They get the upper berths with
out any consideration. II Is part Of
their initiation into the business, and
proud indeed is the beginner the first
time he Is allowed 10 draw for the
chance Of lower berth. He knows
he is no longer considered novice.
In the orawing, the manager of the
team first reserves lower berth for
himself, another for the captain, one
for the business manager, II there be
cLe, and lower berths for as many
newspaper representatives as happen
to be travelling with the club. All the
ether sleeping-car tickets are put into
envelopes and sealed. Then the play
ers are permitted to draw, beginning
as a rule with the man who mas been
longest with the club
After the drawing has been made.
some of the players who are thrifty,
and who are willing to submit to
room in the attic now and then sell
their lower berths to companions.
who are ready to advance half dollar,
sometimes less. for the privilege of
sleeping downstairs"
In some Of the clubs an arrangement
is in vogue whereby the pitchers are
given the lower berths. This is es-
pecially true of the teams where the
pitcher also happens to be the man
ager He insists that good pitching
Is the most important part of he game,
and that the pitchers should be CIV
en- every opportunity to rest in order
that the team may be successful in
its games on the road. The other play
ers, on the contrary. maintain that
the pitchers work only once in three
or four games, and have ample time to
recuperate.
The feud between the pitchers and
the other players of a professional
baseball nine is almost as old as the
game, and it has yet to be settled in
IA manner satisfactory to both sides.
Long experience hns taught the pro-
fcssional ball player how to take life
easy in travel. Almost all of his jour
neying is done in the hottest months
OF the year and very wisely in his
dress he adapts himself to prevailing
conditions. Loose shirts, low collars.
thin lounging coats and airy caps make
him the envy of men who swelter and
fume in apparel more dignified but far
more distressing, when the dust is fly
ing in clouds that threaten to suffo-
cate the passengers, and when heat
waves. radiating from embankments
and level stretches, undulatc contin-
uously through the car.
Dominoes are popular with the bali
players. 1t is easy 10 carry the box
of pieces around AMI there are always
candidates for the pastime. On some
teams two men who are fond of crib
hage will begin on the very first trip
to play series OF games. aud will
rrolong it indefinitely. Two players
cf the Boston club once played more
than two thousand games of cribbage
In a season. The other members of the
team insisted that this pair counted
fifteen two, fifteen four" in their
sleep.
There are stiff games at cards now
and then, but IL IL comes to the man
ayers car that the stakes ere high
there Is sure TO follow q little Driyate