Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-09-27
CAN ST AND CRITICISM
Veteran Ball Players Are Not
Sensitive.
OTHERS THIN SKINNED
THE SEASON RESENTED.
Unjust Abuse Takes the Heart Out
of a Team-False Charge
Against Stah1.

Are rail players sensitive to criticism
| Here is a question that is often asked by
1 fans who become interested in the person
| alities of the microscopic procession OF
| athletes who make history on the diamond
1t ought to be obvious that such aues-
ton cannot be answered in bulk. As well
/ inquire: do actors resent unfavorable
| criticism?' or Are presidents of insurance
| companies sore on their critics?' or do
| the owners of in-aud-out' race horses lose
| any sleep over the knocks that are dished
! out to them?''
Some ball players sulk over any sort or
unfavorable criticism. But most of them
don't. The majority of them laugh the
criticisms away. These are the seasoned
players, who have a right to feel sure OF
themselves-secure in the knowledge that
they know how to play the game and that
they are due to go right on playing the
game in the big leagues in spite of all
criticism over their off days. The players,
as a rule, who take criticism to heart are
the men who have no particular reason for
feeling perky over their playing ability and
who are far from possessing any dead-sure
confidence. that they'll stick in fast com
pany. The veteran actor of class gives
hardly second thought to an unfavorable
notice, but the performer who has GER
tain deep-down consciousness of his own
medlocrlty shrfvels sadly under even the
kindltest word of well-meant criticism.
Veterans Are Philosophical
Ball players who have been in the big
leagues for number of years become &C
customed to the knowledge that when
they're going their best and delivering more
goods than their contract calls for they're
aces with the public and that, on the
other hand. when they get into rut and
rail- away from the standard they have pre-
VlouSiy set for themselves they are
NUTS. Plat is the way they express 1t
themselves, and it is philosophy which
enables them to take the knocks" that
come their way with a complaisance- that Is
reaily valuable asset for a ball PLAYER
For it is sure thing that the ball players
who take knocks too much to heart cant
go on playing the game with the confidence
OF the fellows who accept criticism as 1t
comes and make no moan over It, The
down-in-the-m mouth player is of no use
either to himself or to his team He is a
man with grievance. He mopes and re-
pines; He tells all hands of his wrongs He
Is abused. And If he doesn't cut out his
hoobytshness In this respect and go aheau
plugging the best he can knocks or no
knocks, he has a good chance to lose
out aitogether. At any event, the super
fuously sensitive ball player who harps
upon his wrongs, either to himself or to
others. is more than likely to become
crab. and one crab attached to a base
pan club can do lot toward damaging the
whole outfit.
But 1t should by no means be understood.
that good deal of the criticism that is
lavished upon ball players in these days is
only unjust. it Is barbarously untrue and
wholly malicious from every point of view.
False Charge Against stahl.
In New York recently base ball writer
on New York evening paper gave Jake
stahl perfectly outrageous grueling.
He stated that Stahl conducted himself on
a ball field like an overseer of slaves. that
every time a Washington player made
slight mistake In that particular game
Stahl had abused and cursed the erring
player in loud tone of voice." that he had
Deen SO vicious in reprimanding and swear
Ing at his men that the fans present had
| taken up the cudgels in favor of the OUT
ragged members of the Washington club;
and good deal more Of the same sort OF
| thing.
Now. there was just as much truth in this
| as there would be in a story setting forth
that President Roosevelt had publicly kick
ed blind man. People who don't know
| this. Nobody in Washington, for that
matter. needs to be reminded of It,.
Those who are familiar with the In
side workings of the Washington team
reproachfu much less one abusive, word
| to any member of the team, publicly or
| privately. since he became the captain of
| 1T. The man is too fine to be a nagger. And
| this writer, from close association with
him on and Off the ball field, knows tina.
| Stahl would as lief stick his right hand into
| the fire as to curse or even to publicly re-
prove man playing under him. He's not
built that way. And there Is not a man on
| the Washington team who wouldn't say the
| same thing with all the power in him; not
a man attached to the club who wouldn't
fight for stahl through thick and thin,
| against any Odds
For the honor of the writing profession
| 1t should be stated that as soon as the man
| who penned the charge reached the Ameri-
| can League ball park that afternoon the
other base ball writer's got around him and,
led by Sam Crane, the veteran ex-player and
| base ball writer, gave it to him good and
plenty. On the following day the man
came out in his paper with sort of mealy-
| mouthed apology, in which he lamely ex-
cused his charge on the ground that base
ball players needed criticism" to bring
out their best work, and a good deal of sim
ilar apologize junk of the same general
character. And. on the day after that. he
appeared with charge plug for the
| Washington club. in which he slipped all
Accept Just Criticism.
Ball players of average common sense
and tie base ball player who is deficient in
| common sense doesn't stick for very long
do not resent straightforward newspaper
criticism of their playing when their play
| Ing has been palpably poor.
well. it's coming to mel was punk
yesterday" is a common remark from the
players when they read these criticisms.
II was all of that. and worse says an
other. "Weli. considering the way I was
| booting it around the lot yesterday, this
boy lets me down light" says another. II
couldn't have played bean-bag with my
| little sister yesterday, and I'm just about
| due for what they're handing me In the
papers today" remarks still another.
And that's the way it goes when the play
ers are reading the current criticisms of
! their work the ball field.
Constant Knocking Initiates.
1t is the day In and day out. constant
knocking that gets on the players nerves