Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-09
QUEER IDEAS OF
SOME BALL PLAYERS

ball club, under Comiskey, had an out
fielder who was supersttious. He had been
good hitter, but when he came into the
western League he suddenly stopped hit
ting and could not make single a week.
The management Disguised, determined to
release him.
The player had been brooding as all good
batters do when they are not getting their
binSles, and one morning he came to Com
my to ask favor.
Il can't hit until I get another bat" he
mourned.
"Ill buy you a gross If you can make
hits with them" remarked Commy.
Yes, but have to have one like the one
Wilmot broke for me-"
What kind was that?' asked Commy.
lone of Delehanty's" said the player
soberly.
Commy, who is WISE wired Big Ed Dele
>hanty to send him bat, offering $40 for 1t.
The day the bat arrived the outfielder be-
gan to Inland at the end Of the season he
was close to the top of the league in bat
ting-all because he knew he could hit with
one of Ed Delehanty's bats.
But the odd part of it is told by some of
the players who were on the team with
him. They knew about Del's bat-and tried
to kid" the outfieiler. One day they got
bat that was an exact match for DeIs war
club and switched on the outfielder. He
struck out twice and didn't get anything
that looked like a hit. Three times they
tried switching bats on him-and each time
with the same result. He could hit with
Del's bat and he could not hit with its
duplicate.
*
No one ever would suspect Jimmy Ryan
of being a bit superstitous; yet Gentle
James would hunt the city over to find
shop-seasoned bat, with red band around
the center and nine worm holes in the
wood. Jolly, merry little Cupid Childs
never would be suspected of superstitution,
yet Cupid would be overjoyed IL the walter
at luncheon before a game would wish him
luck voluntarily. Some one tipped on the
walters that Cupid would tip them literally
if they wished him luck-and they nearly
broke Cupe. Arson was superstitious-and
denied it. However, he admitted always
that If he dreamed certain pitcher was
beaten he would not send that pitcher into
the box on the following day.
**
There was one ball player who was driven
out of the business and almost to death by
superstition. That man was little Billy
Earle.
Just how it happened no one seems to
know. or ever did, but Billy became known
as hoodoo. 1t was whispered around the
league that Billy possessed the evil eye.
His fellow players began to shun him. Some
of them scoffed at the idea, and continued
to room with and chlm with the little
catcher. Men on other teams Stunned him
as if he were pestilence. They believed
that Earle could and did hoodoo them
Billy had delved a little into hypnotism-
perhaps that started his i'll fame. A series
of odd happenings, all connected with the
catcher, served to strengthen his bad repu-
tation One of his fellow catchers borrowed
his catching mitt, and in that game his
hand was badly torn. Some one else used
Biliy's bat and almost was killed by foul
tip shooting against his own face.
Earle's reputation as hoodoo became SO
bad that it drove him out of base ball. The
following year a member of the Cincinnati
club. feeling sorry for the little fellow, who
was in tough luck and unable to find work
anywhere because of his EVIL eye" bought
Billy's base ball shoes. The first day he
wore them he broke his leg.
Even to this day if you offer player
one of Billy Earle's bats. gloves, or shoes
he will dodge