Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-19
GOOD ADVICE TO
YOUNG BALL PLAYER

Following Is the copy of a letter young
ster now in the south has received from MS
father. who was formerly diamond hero:
Dear Kid: Well. l see where you have
arrived safely down in the peach belt and
are ready for work. You're lucky. Any
time you arrive safely in the south these
days over one of the ocean wave roadbeds
of that section the rest should be easy.
And YOU didn't even lose an arm or
leg? The service must be improving.
Now. at the start l want you to soak up
a little advice from one who was hitting
300 in fast company when you We're yelling
that much in the Nursery League.
Il know you'll figure that times have
changed and that the old man must have
cobwebS In his cupola TO try and dish out
any Information to the champeen batsmen
of the Grass Cutters League. If you feel
that way about it you're hopeless at the
start, but I'll take a chance that you stlll
have bit of gray matter weighing under
your scalp and break some news gently to
you that otherwise would hit you with a
thud and crumple you into shapeless
mass
Il can guess how YOU feel about 1t now.
After "A winters rest with - sun beating
down on your neck you'd like to grab that
ball and chuck it through siX-lnch plank.
You have A good arm now and you won
he happy until the manager and the rest
of the team are wise to this fact. lou
want to stand out in deep left and Kill a
few SparroWs nesting in the grand-Stand
eaVaA
But take this from me-and it's on the
level-some day you'll need that soup
bone and then you'll wish you'd kicked
EN- back into the diamond in place OF
cracking an elbow to get EN- there on
line If you open up with any of those
worlds fair throws at the start you'll be
tapping your soup out of the bowl In
week without strength enough in your
whip to handle a spoon.
I'm ~ laS two You'll be reading
In the papers where you have 'Keeler back
ed OF the boards and are sure to make a
hit all around the circuit when the season
opens
But don't go spending any big league
money on the strength of this tip now. You
may need ii to pay your board in advance
back to the town you came from before
the middle Of April. OF course, you may
live down reputation like this, but it's
hard
There have been only few youngsters
who didn't look like another Iajoie, Bill
Lang or King Kelly in March. and these
few were generally the ones that made
good later on. They all look good al this
time ~ the year. but. remember, the juciest
nectarine OF March is pretty liable to make
the largest lemon of April.
Il vc seen some ball players who looked
10 have few CLEANS on chandelier when
1t came u shining In spring practice but
when the real STUFF came on after the sea-
son opened they couldn't catch contagious
fsh or hlt a wide ball with a shotgun
No. il isn't going TO get you anything
now Id look Ike koe!er' or to resemble
l.d3ol- i'm action. 1t isn't going to pay
your board after YOU blow up or hike back
u j.r basUrs again.
III YOU feel YOUR bun swelling on &C
Cpuar of any such statement put on the
'srrrN~' quick. Sooner or later your wake
up and wish YOU were back in that dear
kdrkJkr-' when some guy in the bleachers
In "a foGAoru voice advises your manager
to Ir.u can To dat thick headed mutt
what goes after a hunt ike a fat poodle
Chasiu' "a meat wagon Yes. he'll lac re-
frrriu- TO YOU when he springs this to the
man "hu a month back had Bradley
skinned At coming in on the slow ones
You may believe what they re writing about
you row. but when the above spiel comes
OF you'U know that your old man is a
pretty vie gazabo. Ahrctionately.
YOUR OLD MAN
II is strongly suspected that George
Washington Bradley, now Il Philadelphia
copper. who helped the Athletics win
the championship In 1888 by his great
pitching. third-bas- playing and batting.
and who was Tor years "A real base ball
Star. is the writer OF the above letter. He
has son now working out with one of the
teams in Florida and who George believes
at least. he told me recently-wili be a
future l.ajole in point OF skill. popularity
and fame.