Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-09
By Hugh s. Fullerton.

Rail players as a class, are about as SUI
perstitious crowd of men as ever were IN
any business. They are not as bad now as
I'm the old days. because the men, on an
average. are much better educated-out II
is hard to find player, even now VINO Is
without his pet superstition.
Signs that the team will win or lose on
certain day are as numerous as signs Oh
death among negroes in the south Inc
foam that passes a wagon load of hay. not
baled, on the way to n game is confident
that 1t means victory. A wagon fuli OF
empty barrels is another sure sign of WIN
ming. while any team will have the BUS
stopped and drive blocks out of the way
to avoid a funeral or to dodge passing
house with crepe on the door. But those
are general superstiticns. Almost every
player has his own either as to his hit
ting or as to whether the team Will iose
on certain days.
Superstition cuts big figure In the stand
ing of the clubs. for, as every one KNOWS,
confidence is half the game, and the player
who believes his team beaten before the
game starts cannot play as we'll as the
man who dreamed the night before that he
made six hits.
Danny Friend the youngster who was
sensation among the left-handers for a few
wears had an odd superstition. If any one
at the table with him at luncheon before
game ordered anything sour or picked he
was morally certain that he would be
beaten if he pitched that afternoon. On
the days when Danny was slated to pitch
1t was funny to see him dodge away from
the table where Bull Dahlen was eating.
for Bull made speciality of picked foods
going from cucumber pickles through the
list to picked pigs feet If he could get
them.
When the players discovered Dannys su-
perstition he had to eat alone or forget
his hoodoo.
Josh Reilly. who came up from Texas
fiery and untamed to conquer the National
League years ago, told a story which is
hard to beat.
One spring the San Antonio team ap
reared to be the strongest in the Texas
League Every player a star, and 1t
looked as if the club wovld romp home
with the pennant. Never was such an ag-
gregation of sluggers gathered in the Lone
Star state. Even the pitchers were touted
to bat over 300.
The season started. San Antonio lost
fourteen straight games and base hits were
scarcer than snowstorms down that way.
The team was wild and quarreling among
themselves. they We're certain that some
one had hoodooed them and stopped their
hitting.
one morning RellIy nau DrNildHt iueet.
He summoned the small negro boy who
was acting as mascot for the club and
loaded him down with bats. piling on all
the bats belonging to the club 1t happen
ed that Schlatter. the alleged divine
healer" was then running a show in San
Antonio. Down the main streets OF the
town Josh and the small. dusky mascot
trudged until they came to Schlatters tent.
Josh paid the healer s. to bless the bats.
That afternoon San Antonio played Dallas.
According to Joshs veracious report, San
Antonio made ffty-three base hits, most
of them two or three-ba ggers. With those
bats they hammered out the pennant and
had nine men hitting above 300 when the
flag fell.
Josh brought a lot of those bats with
him into the National. but somehow the
charm failed to work there.
Here is true story. The Minneapolis