Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-09-05
Big Leaguers Do Not Play
For Love Of the Game.
Their Work Becomes MonOto-
nous and Is Not Easy.
Stick TO Baseball Because OF Good
Money II Pays.

A question often heard in the fans buzz
OF talk at ball games is this:
Il wonder if those fellows playing tbe
game get any fun out OF it, or ii they look
Mpon it as work.?
Plenty OF cocksure chaps in stand and
bleacherS don't even put this proposition
in the form of a question. They take II
for granted, being crazy Oven the S'tih,
themselves, that all players OF the national
game in the professional ranks must DC
Wild over bah playing and that they u Il
little hit rather play BAH than eat
II s'posc it isn't the snapsky or any
think like that" these cocksure ones
frame il up this thing OF coTrlnS inc
coin. ana ni:1 coin, at chat, just for having
tn. Work nlrd, don't they? JuAt ddhco
around on the nice, sweet sinelllhS grass
tor an hour and nall or so 81 Afternoons ,
and the guy with the pay envelope doe;
the rest. Horrible hard on EN-, hey
But these ofthand ones don't know Inc
simple fact is that perhaps majority OF
the men who have been Playing tlit ply
tessional game for as long as ten years
become 50 tired of baseball that partlc-
uarly at this waning stage of the season
they actually dread the hour when they
are due to put or their uniforms.
In an expansive moment. not long ago,
Mucosy McGraw told a group Of cronles
that Ped never really cared a great deal
for the game Of Eall. even when ne was
one of the most successful players IN the
country. The reason he gave Tor TINS
was curious one:
Tire game of ball always took too
much out OF me, even back in the kid
days wnen / PLAYED hockey TO bat EN-
| around on the lots vas his way of
putting it. The game always flashed my
nerves ana unstruES me so that | WASH {
| tit to he seen or heard for some time
even after a scrub, skinned lot game.
THE trouble with me is that | never
could play amy old kind of a game with
out get ting all net up over it. When as
| a tyke l played marbles or Skinny | was
Just as anxious 10 win, and probably just
as Mulisansh and sCrappy, as they call
/ it, as I've ever been since in profess
| sional game of lall.
| M game in fact. WAS ever any good to
me that ! couldn't win. Now, that may
| not be a hitmakinS thing for ballplayer
| or manager of ball club to say in these
| polite milk and Watery days when the
| knockers seem TO take it as crime when
| n man wants to win. but I'm not con-
| vcrsinc for the purpose of malrin9 hit
bat merely to state truth. n manag-
| ing or playing the game of ball is only
| endura'le to me when I'm out in front
| and winning. I don't care 4 bag Of pea
| nuts for the rest of the game. Results
| for mine, and results don't mean anything
| else to me than winning from the other
| crowd.
That's fun, if anything else in connec-
| ton with the game Of ball can be called
| fun. Getting licked isn't any fun-not for
me- As manager or member Of a taiiend
| club I'd become nuttv inside of two
months, 7 honestly believe
Clark Griffith is another of the mana
| GERS who look with an expression of
sulen surprise when the mere suggestion
| is ":ade that ball player can actually
get any fun out of the game
Fun. eh?" he said to a group down in
| Atlantic City one recent Sunday when the
| Yankees We're playing a series with the
| Athletics in Philadelphia. well, its
about the same kind Of fun for me as
| CARRYING the hOd or moving pianos would
he, and you can dope that out for your
| self.
II can't figure out where the fans get
J the idea that it's fun for ballplayers to