The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-05-28
Am / Right !?

VIZ HEREVER baseball! players do fore
Wv gather, there is always talk OF
placing hits TO my mind, not one of a
thousand professional baseball players can
'tplace a hit" in a hundred times at bat
There are many reasons to support such
a belief. If pitchers habitually threw
straight balls it would be possible for bat
tiers to acquire such skill with the bat
that balls could be batted to right, center
or left field, as they saw fit. With fast
pitcher mixing them up the place hit
ter is, to my mind, a myth.
The batter never knows just which way
the ball is going to break. He does not
know the curve or degree Of curve which
the pitcher has impaired to the ball.
'Floaters' and snapped" balls come too
quick for him to deduce just where and
when to hit them He lans at the ball
without the ball beating him to the bag.
In the old, old days Of straight pitching.
place hitting may have been INDUCED in,
but of recent years it is doubtful, if the
truth be told, If there has been any such
a thing as placing hit. Position may
affect the general direction of the hit and
time Of swing modify this, but when it
comes to any batter walking up in front
of a pitcher Of the caliber Of M. Mathew
son or Cy Young and saying that he will
place the ball in a certain territory-well,
I'm from Jasper county, Missouri.
TO those who lived thru the bicycle
i craze Of a decade ago without a
broken neck or a broken leg there is
something strangely familiar about the
methods of automobile manufacturers.
The bicycle manufacturers maintained
racing teams. Most automobile makers
are building special racers and hiring
them. There was sporadic effort tic
bring about good roads thru the efforts
of cycling clubs and we hear the same line
of prophecy handed out by automobile
| clubs. There were bicycle club parades
We had an automobile club parade last
night. The horse was declared down and
out and that talk still continues. There
| was lots Of litigation over patents Of
questionable variety and the courts are
at present entertained with cases Of the
same kind. The sober sided cyclist be-
walled the rashness Of the hare Drained
scorchers and members Of the Minneapolis
Auto club are working to do away with
scorching in motors at present. Folks pre-.
| hof no n
out in year, but more wheels are now il
use than ever before. Automobiles, some
say, will disappear in year or SO. They
never will, but will grow in usefulness
rather than as a pleasure craft Mer
made millions in bikes and are doing thu
| same in 'bubbles.''
i made some pointed, frank and time
| ~ remarks upon the indulgence in ath
lettcs by woman. He might have gon.
further and placed structures upon ath
letics as a whole. We are to pay a heavy
price in the next generation for the ath
letic craze Of to-day. It has gone beyond
bounds Of reason. The magazines ar.
filled with advertisements the burden O
which is 'be burly.'' There is a DANCE
in all Of this and especially is there dange
in indiscriminate following Of the advice
of the physical culturists who are no
| physicians and who do not examine theil
followers for structural or constitutions
weakness.
| Physical culture under proper condition.
is a grand thing. Its abuse is about az
| bad as can be imagined. Youths ant
maidens of immature years are going thr,
series of "hone exercises and are IL
many instances laying the foundation fol
lives Of pain and misery as result.
you would 'be strong first consult YOU
family physician. Insist upon an exami
nation Of lungs and heart, and you may
make a startling discovery, but lear1
something which you should know. If YOU
physician says you are in good condition
then place yourself in charge Of some
physical director of standing and reputa.
tion, who will be honest with you. HI
will not allow you to overwork or injure
yourself. 7 recently watched a young
man, a would-be athlete, swinging pail
of underground Indian clubs. when one
pound clubs would have been sufficient,
heavy for him.
The young man was doing himself {
positive injury. There is absolutely moth
ing in this strong business from be-
ginning to end. Physical culture FOL
health is all right, but beyond that, it /:
valueless. These burly -muscled giant.
whose pictures we see in the magazine
advertisements are simply common
formed men whose pictures have beer
painted up" by artists. These knottee
muscles are worthless and such men art
marks for fevers and consumption. If 70,
would 'be strong" however, be sure tina
you start right. Thor.
l 800. nacorafiOr, Dav af the Takes