Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-04-01
STEALING NOW
OUT Of DATE
Rival Ball Clubs Do Not Seek
Each Others SignaIs-Quak-
er Bunch Recalled.

There Is pretty thorough understand
| ing among the clubs of the American
| League" said Manager Armour OF Detroit
| recently, that It is bad manners to steal
| the signals of an opposing team. There Is
| no formal rule to this effect in our organ
| zation, although l do believe the National
| has such a regulation. However / doubt IL
| there is anything of a systematic nature In
the line of a signal service bureau now IN
operation at any American League park
"Of course there are times when pitch
ers who seem 10 have everything go in and
get pounded in ways most inexplfcable. yet
| there is always good ground for doubling
| the existence OF any undue assistance to
the batters.
II don't suppose that II is strictly sports
manlike, but base ball is A strenuous game.
and there are times when man may feel
sorely tempted.
real stage of perfection existed at Phtla-
delphia in the days when the National
League team there had such batters as Del
ehanty. Lajoie, Flick. Thomas and ouneh
of others, with Dick Cooley, then in his
prime to lead Off The club carried one
man who did nothing else but work the bu-
reau-Morgan Murphy, the veteran catcher.
He would get the signals OF the opposing
catcher with a glass, from the club house
in centerfield, and then telegraph them to
the coacher on first base by means or
buzzer. The coacher would give them 10
the batter and terrible slaughter would
usually result
And This Reminded Donahue.
Eyes. Bill" contributed Red Donahue,
land / was a member of that club. if
you'll recall Often I've gone out TO the
club house, with Murphy and watched him
work. and he was simply the best man ever
at that Job. His field glasses cost him $12o,
and I've looked through them myself and
seen Jack Warmers gold teeth and caught
the culver of his eyelids block away.
wonder If people ever knew that we had
stand from which we worked that signal
service in almost every city in the Lacquer
1t Is, SO far as know, the only team that
ever did anything In the signal service line
off its own grounds.
But we simply killed the game al
wavs maintained to Capt. Delehapty that
when we had our games won ought to
quit the signal business and not rub 1t IN
too strong Also, the other bunch would
he much less liable to discover our system,
Int Del never could see 1t that way. Don't
you like to hear them zing their way of
the bats and to the fenceT he would ask,
and the rest were OF the same opinion
"And the funny part of 1t was that our
batting was really our undoing. The fell
lows wouldn't play the game. but Thought
only of whacking the bail. Bunts, team
work in the field. base running-it was oil
forgotten. We made 200 runs more than
any other club in the league. but finished
third"
Merely Battle of Rival Wits.
When the visiting team In any city per-
ceiyes that the signals are being read In
some way by the other organization,
battle OF wits ensues which is breathlessly
interesting to those who appreciate the sit
uation. The catcher of the victimized ag-
gregation Immediately switches his system
and for a time throws the signal bureau
out of commission, but 1t only takes few
pitched balls before the man with the glass