The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-01-25
EXPLAINS
HIS BAD BATTING
IN COAST LEAGUE
Climate and Wind Sc
we're Handicap-Hayez'
Sad Story.
By THOMAS S. RICE.

of his usefulness N IdSJ company, De-
cause he batted only -2S1 in the Pacific
Coast League last season in 159 games.
Charles says there are ex1enuating cir
cumstances. and man who hit thar
high on the Pacific side should do much
better in the East In talking 10 9.
Bert Repasz. OF The Times, at Williams
port, Pa, this week he said:
Ball PLAYERS out this way have no
idea the handIcaps which make Life a
burden TO the professional on theI
coast. II he hits at all out there he
should slug out quite little elsewhere.
Radical Climatic Changes.
The first thing against the coast
player is the climate. When you are in
Southern California YOU, can go out and
run yourself TO death without raising
the sign of a sweat. and there is moth
ing more trying on an athlete than that.
In Central California you get a sweat
that is a great comfort. and just the
right conditions for athletics Then, at-
ter YOU have had a real pleasant time
and are feeling good, you jump 10 Port
land. Ore. That's a lovely town after
coming out of the California climate.
It's so cold you have to wear two IN
dershirts and so damp you can't tell
whether YOU are sweating or out in the
rain
This constant and radical change Of
conditions makes it impossible for a
bail player TO keep at his best on the
coast. and should be figured whenever
YOU look up the record from out there
In doping him always allow for the on
DAYS he had as a result Of the getting
rheumatism in Portland
Wind Hurts Singers.
The hitting and catching on the
coast are seriously affected by the high
winds from the Pacific Most Of the
grounds in the Pacific Coast League are
so laid out that the wind blows toward
the plate. The consequence is that fire.
0uently after a man has give the bail
a Charley Hickman swat that looks
Good for a couple of miles the big
rreeze carries it IN - far IhaI the sec
0nd sacker has to run 70 catch the bail
in the pitchers box Nou can imagine
that this is most annoying 10 nose
who love to bang away with All their
might and main. ami 5lllSgeTS laGOr IN
der q heavy lmpo5L.
.-IYf course the chop hitters and really
scientific batters VINO drive the paii
through openings in the inneld DO not
have 50 much trouble, but the com
mon run Of hItters have a hard time
making good.
Hard to Throw Accurately.
The wind is also a great check on
throwing TO bases from behind the bat.
Under ordinary circumstances 1t is not
the easiest thing in the world TO be al
wavs fast and accurate in getting the
spheroid 10 second or third in time 10
min q runner, but on the coast you have
to figure on 81 wind strong enough TO
defect il from its course, or TO cause Il
10 shoot wildly up in the air IL you
do not start tho throw exactly right
Considering that Street Is credited
with only twenty-nine errors and
twelve passed balls in 154 games he
caught last season, he seems to have
had that wind gagged TO a nicely. de
wound up his little talk with a BOOST
for Gates and Burns, the young plLcn-
ers from the coast whom cant1llou viii
try out for Washington next spring. and
both of whom Street thinks Will make
good.
Sad, Sad Story.
A caller dhis morning was Jean G.
Favez. the ample author of that highly
moral but depressing dirty entitled,
"Good-Bye Booze which he was also
wont to sing. but that was some years
ago and time heals all wounds. Mr..
Havez IS a baseball promoter who feels
at home IN our beautiful city. He man
aged a team that never Won a game.
His Is a sad stoTy-hear il;
Last year Lew DOCkstader organized
q baseball team among his minstrel
men, and spent large sum or real
money buying a complete Quilt. II
figured to be a lovely scheme mat would
furnish healthy recreation for men IN
the troupe. and, incidentally, make good
material for the press agent We would
beat the local favOrltes, get our names
in the papers and everybo would
come around that night To see the show
Sunk to Class 2.
.On the level. that team was the
greatest Joke DOckstader ever sprung.
II old not win a game in a whole sea
son we started out by arranging
matches with minor league clubs and
such like organizations, for We were
riphr there with the confidence stuff
and felt that we could outplay anything
that ever wore a uniform. a series Of
mean 5olts from the good teams caused
us 10 gradually sink into class 4, and
We were finally beaten daily by the local
lodges OF Elks, Eagles, and other fra
1ernal organizations that kept teams 70
plav at their annual plcniCs.
As a press agent scheme the steam
was as much 10 the bad as IL was
on the diamond The public resented
CIIr uanglIng of the national game anC
made coarse remarks to the effect that
IF our knowledge of American humol
wasn't any better than our knowledge
Of the great American sport. we must
be q lot of shines. The only people
who came 10 theater as a result OF the
games was the opposing team-its mana.
gers. fellow lodge members and all then
families-and they all insisted upon hay
ing passes because by playing with u.
they had helped 10 advertise the show
THAT was too much. The team dis
banded in disgust and the outfit was
sold al second hand, cheap to the frs
bidder.
If continued HaVeZ as he faded
down the elevator, you will write Z
piece for your great family newspaper
about the bail team IL viii be the only
time we ever got anything out Of the
scheme"