Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-07-20
suPERsrIrIoNs or PLAYERs.
Chesbro Has Pet Sign He Brought
 From Franklin County Farm.

l greatest number of supe-stitious members The most ordinary hap penings of the most ordinary day,
 when viewed from the standpoint of the able batsman, take on signifi- canoe inexplicable to the layman. In | the most casual occurrences the hero of the green diamond marks an omen of good or of i'll, and takes the ape 1 plication to himself While these ex- traordinary superstitions and beliefs exist in base ball circles generally, l they reach their highest degree of development in the Sew York clubs of the National league and the Amer ican league.
 One would think that person of the diseernment and cool headedness of John T. Brush, qualities whose cultivation has led up to fame aud fortune, would be proof against the
 weakness which is excusable in the
 less enlightened. Bur such is not the case. MT Brush, president of the National league club of this city, is as susceptible in this regard as is Bugs Raymond, the remarkable pitcher of the St Louis team.
 Clark Griffith of the Yanks has an aversion to being run over by six 1 cylinder automobile, and 1t is said l by those who know him well the same dread extends to cars of only | four-cylinder construction.
 r One of the oldest fantasies of the l field is that which mas for years ob- 1 sessed Hal Chase, the gallant young l first baseman of the Highland carap. MT Chase believes that if the Arleri- cans were one run behind in the ninth inning, with two men out and | himself at the bat, it would mean the loss of the game if he should san. Fred Penney, first baseman for the Giants, is great dog faEcier, and attaches strange importance to the most trivial traits and actions of the canine. He thinks it sign of good l luck to sell for $75 . pointer pup costing him $S.60 net. On the other ! hand, he considers ot bad luck to be bitten in the left cheek by brin- dle bulldog on a rainy Sunday Happy Jack Chesbro, the Ameri- | cans pitcher, was raised on a farm, and holds many superstitions con- nected with country life. He cannot be shaken from his belief that a person who finds a ten-dollar billl in the fork of the roads, with the wind north by east, is due for for tunes favor, contrariwise, he con- | siders it bad luck for a red-headed man to be kicked by sorrel gelding. If a cross-eyed batsman breaks Roger Bresnahan's wrist with a foul | tip, the Giants star catcher invari- | ably refuses to play any more ball that day. He has been told by his management that this carrying superstition beyond the bounds of reason, but in this one thing Jolly Roger is firm to the point of obstin- l acy.
 Willie Keeler, the Tanks right | fielder, says it is an ill omen if hc muffs fly from the hat of left handed hitter when the bases are full.
 If man with brown mole on the back of his neck spikes Mike Donlin in the face as the latter IS stealing second base the Giants captain is l miserable for the rest of the after noon. He says it is one of the rn- luckiest things that can happen to a ball player, and he can cite lots of cases in proof of his contention. Neal Ball, the Americans short- 1 stop, considers 1t sign of bad luck to be put out at first base by the pitcher unassisted.
 MT Doyle of the Americans, yclept The Snail, says if man pitches eight bad balls in a row, permitting two batsmen to walk to first, it is agn there will be a new pitcher in the box next inning.
 Kid Elberfield, shortstop for the Yankee Princes, is a firm believer in the potency of the number 13 as a baseball factor, holding that if the 18th ball thrown by the pitcher hits the batsman in the jaw 1t is sure sign of disaster.
 Larry Doyle, despite his reputation for joyous good fellowship, Is very fussy about personal contact with op- posing players. He says 1t is bad luck to be even touched by a man with a dollar-and-a-quarter ball in his hand if you are running between the bases.
 Doc Newton of the Giants pltch- ing stan says if he meets a half-hsad- ed man, wearing straw hat and a suit of mixed white and blue chev.ot, and loans him s10 in one iollar bills, 1t is a sign he will reach home with less money than he started out with.
 Blue eyes exercise adistressIng inc tiuence upon Spike shannon of th@ fielding forces. He says when he V called out on strikes by an umpire having eyes of this color feeling of aversion comes over him which he is utterly unable to suppress.
 Jake Stahl's belief in numerals takes a different twist It it his idea that if the automobile which knocks him down on his way to ihe game bears the figure 5 either as beginning or terminal, 1t is a sign he will be sore for quite a spell
 If the manufacturers number on a safe falling from a second-story window on the head of Pitcher Cran- dall of the Giants Is odd. Mr Gran dsll takes it as siga of misfortune.
 Niles of the Americans. holds 1t to be an sugnry of good II his hy fo center Is muffed by a blond fielder, particularly if the error results in bringing in the winning run for Mas ter Niles's mateys.
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