Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-03-15

near sighted from watching his own fig
ures in the base-hit column.
''ShOw me a player who doesn't keep
tab on his own batting from day to day
and I'll show you player who doesn't
take interest in his work. retorted
another. There are some players who
don't care a darn whether their little
or big bingles count in batting In runs.
but 1 don't think they are very numerous
at that. If q mans got the interest of
his team at heart he tiles to bat to make
it productive of runs, and 1 don't think
there are many who shirk a chance to
when he thinks it might hurt his stick
work. The man who keeps close tab on
his batting is trying to maintain good
general average, and he can Co 1t in no
better way than by close study OF daily
results
Poker Games Not Popular.
Rather unusual for ball team. poker
seances do not seem to be in favor with
the Nationals They play cards in their
rooms a great deal of evenings. but
pitch and penochle are always the rule.
All daylight hours on the long trip south
ward were given up to both. and full
complement of boards was in operation
all the time. Cantillon forbids any gam
bling. Two things that will do more to
demoraliZe a ball team than all the poor
playing in the world, says Joe. are
the team. Players who lose usually get
a crouch against the winners and fac
tons set in that lead TO Decentralization
Some women will gossip and backcap, and
you get them together following d band
of ball tosserS there's trouble sure to come
up. Most of the old-time players were
inveterate gamblers, and would set in to
an all-night poker session before they
took off their uniforms and I've known
managers to win far more money from
their players than they drew from the
club owners in the way of salaries"
Surf Bathing Invaluable.
A great charm for the players is surf
bathing and they take full advantage Of
it. They take it three times day, and
say it is most exhilarating and makes
them feel like a chronic topper, who has
just had several mornings mornings"
after a hard nights souse. The surf rolls
up to the rip-rap In front of the sea wall
in great pillows and losses the bathers
hither and yOn, upside down and every
old way. without bit of danger, for one
can walk out $50 yards inside the safety
lines without going over his head, and
there is nothing but smooth and gradually
slOping sand under foot. Salt water is
great emetic, too. as many Of the boys
who have Internationally swallowed it can
testify. Sometimes when the tide is high
they occasionally bump into a "Portu-
guese man-o'war" Gelly fish floating just
below the surface, and then they are
handed shock as if they had grabbed =
heavily charged galvanic battery. The
shout of .Man-o'-war. is always the
signal for wild dashes to the staircase to
await until the unwelcome visitor moves
farther on his course
Some Flyers on Base Lines.
Lack of speed on bases won't be one
weakness to trouble the Nationals this
year. Pickering and Milan are flyers
and Mcbride is another windburner on the
lines. while Charley Street must be taken
into consideration. Though he Is hefty
in build. Freeman can move some, too.
Washingtonians already know the foot
qualities of Ganley. Delehanty and ely
mer. That looks good for men who NIL
everyday positions. There are no bone
heads in that cluster when they reach
first and it won't take home run over
the fence, to get them in from that sack.