Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1902-07-16

They get nothing in return for It.
und expect nothing Dlore than to have
II generally knowl chat they Are
friends of Davis, Lajoie, Dowle, Col
lins, and one hundred and one men
who have made baseball famous. II
the player wants to smoke. tho cigars
are his. If he wants to drink, there
are drinks so long as he wants them.
If he desires to go 10 the theatre, his
accommodating patron will secure tho
tickets, even though he be obliged to
pay premium for them.
When the players are on the road
they seldom get morning practice, and
that affords them no little worry. Con-
slant exercise is necessary once the
season has fairly begun. A ball play
er does not train, to the flneDess OF
college athlete competing. for example,
in a rowing crew, but even then he
stiffens up quickly and his playins
form vanishes if he does not keep his
muscles in proper trim. Strange to
say, with the knowledge of this truth,
there are few of the players who exert
themselves further than to walk
around the block.now and then. They
are always willing to take the chances.
There are not many of the players
who are early risers. 1t is true, too,
that there are few who are in any great
haste to get to bed. The tendency OF
many of them, who have graduated
from minor leagues, where they have
not been fed on pate de fole gras and
a few similar delicacies. is to eat all
there is on the bill of fare when they
first sit at table in first class hotel.
The veteran knows better. Expert
ence has taught him lesson. In fact
the veteran ball player is something
OF an epicure, and he is inclined to
be rather abstemious than otherwise.
A hearty breakfast is perhaps the
best meal of the aay. At luncheon
little soup, perhaps vegetable or two
some ice cream, and slice of water
melon in season. That's all before the
game-a queer combination, but
ball player with an overloaded stom-
ach is an abomination to his manager.
At night, and here is where the profess
sionai player grumbles,y and really has
a grievance, the dinner is often cold.
The player, after. finishing the game,
changing his uniform. and preparing
himself for the evening, arrives in the
dining room when the dishes are be-
ginning to cool and the walters are
impatient TO get through. But there
is misery in store for the waiter who
shows it.
Not a moment that the player is not
under the watchful eye of the manager.
Sometimes he believes that he is not,
and when he should Lave been in bed
al II o'clock he fixes up a dummy
in the bed, which the manager may
see if he peeps throughout the key
hole to ascertain whether everything
is all right.
Next salary day, however. he dis
covers that that dummy has cost him
a fine of ten dollars. If he is wise he
takes it gracefully. He knows that
if he does his duty on the field and
plays excellent ball in the next few
weeks he is likely To find the ten dol
lars returned to him.
Professional ball players, notwith-
standing their years of discretion, are
a great deal like overgrown boys, and
they have to be treated as such. They
may get little boisterous in public
now and then. but almost never are in
tentionally offensive. Each year finds
them growing about the hard work
that falls to their lot to travel around
the country and have good time, and
each year they declare will be their
last.
But they are around next spring
hunting. up the old trials and tribu-
Ii iatlens iEelga 10 & toe lower 5erths, as
OF they had never gone through them
before JOHN 3. Foster, in Golfers
Weekly.