Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-08-22
HOW PLAYERS FEEL
WHEN TRANSFERRED
Cullen Has Interesting Talk
With One Who Figured
in a Trade.
By Clarence L. Cullen.
correspondence Of The star.

NEW ft'fSh, AUGUST II. IF'''
How does d ball player feet when. being
shifted from ono team ~ another. lie has
to tarn smack dab around on the day
following the shift aud perform against
his little playmates OF thc day before?
This problem has Interested me more
or less. I've heard various and Suudry
bail players hand out their replies to
tno question when il has been put up
I" them. but none % the replies seemed
to cover I'll. matter; the answers didn't
-, down TO the cuticle OF the situation
and beneath it,
But the other evening l colralled a Ger
tam Well known player of the National
League who was transferred from one
Of the main teams of that league to "A
}"sS important club last june. and who
lad to turn around ON the day following
he switch and play against team he'd
he@u with for more than six years. This
man eXuded some stuff about that situa-
ton that sounded real to me, and that's
why I'm going to quote him.
Il didn't like the thing d little bit, to
toll the truth was what lie said when
] asked Ii IN how he felt about the thing
OF walking UP to the dish and swinging
ut the stuff of a pitcher he'd been bunk
ing IN with for years. In fact, it took
me quite a spell to get used TO IT, and
I'm not exactly used 10 il yet. That IS
20 Say, when l go up against the team
mates That it grew second nature for
me to associate ana chum and pal with
l have sort of uncanny feeling that
something's wrong, or not the way it
odght 10 be. can't exactly define the
Keeling. but it's there.
Il didn't nd being switched to the
ciuh I'm with. understand. The fellows
al the club I'm with now are all aces,
player that I've known and matted with
for years. So | didn't start i'll with any
crabhy feeling When ! began work with
my present outfit. But on the very next
dag following the SW tch I he'd to work
against my old gang. and 1t kept me
batting my eyes all the time to find out
ii ! iii the right uniform or not.
Il had feeling on that first day that
PLAYED against the bunch ! was used TO
playing alongside OF that | was Simply
dreaming: that il was Il kind of night
mare hat | couldn't break out of, and
that when | didn't manage to come out
ar it I'd feel foolish and have a sheepish
sort of d laugh over it. But, as the game
progressed. of course. the feeling that 1t
was a dream disappeared ana / had to
see that il was plumb reality.
Well then sure felt gloomy. l didn't
know why. I don't know exactly why
Yet But gloomy is the way l felt. |
couldnt Godge the feeling that l was sort
Of putting over something underhanded,
il you get that. Felt skunky and meas
ley and ornerS. as d man is liable to feel
after he's done something mean and
miserable. Of course there wasn't a rea-
son or earth why should have felt this
way. but I'm simply trying to describe
how the thing weighed upon me at the
time.
Il knew every kink of every man be-
longing 10 my old club. you see. and 1t
seemed TO me that was taking mean
kind Of an advantage OF my information
about them.
This sensation was emphasized when
The pitcher who was doing the heaving
that day for the team to which Id been
transferred boned me for information
about the hitting kinks OF the fellows OF
Ire other club.
:. That guy can't touch EN-, can he,
when they're up around his necktie?' the
finger would say to me, mentioning one
OF The players of my former team. and,
Of course, being pinned to the stick that
way. | had TO out with him and tell him
exactly how it was with the man he men
toned when II came 10 the batting thing.
&Iy duty ~ the team that | was with de-
iilanded that | come across with that In
formation. Bu, don't you ever believe
that Gidn't feel like sneak for giving
up the stun that was boned out OF me
that way. Couldn't get away from the
feeling OF disloyalty to my former gang
to save my soul.
But Of course | was absolutely wrong
in looking at the matter in this way
Gase ball is a business and sport COM
blned, AND it's the bounden duty of the
player to give everything he has in the
the club he's drawing his pay from. This
is ming In which sentiment has no
part at all. The duty | speak OIL
finally arrived at this view OF it's far
ahead OF any merely sentimental
siderdtionS Involving the players former
relationship to members of another club.
There's no treachery involved. as i SIM
PIE matter % course. in players hand
Ing out what he knows about his former
club 10 the OUTFIT he's playing with, but,
As ] say. It takes quite a little while
FOR fellow 10 get this view Of it fixed
n his nut.
arranging tor transfers managers of ball
clubs always take into consideration
what 5 liable TO come OFF when this or
that player becomes j member of this
or that other club.
There are certain managers in both
leagues who wouldn't send one of their
players 20 certain othe! clubs OF the same
icJSGe for amy possible consideration.
i llere are some clubs from Which players
Eever are transferred directly to other
CUBS. They may reach the other clubs by
. roundabout process OF trad .nS. but they
are never transferred straightout to such
clubs, because the managers dont even
entertain the idea of letting the other
club into the inside stuff Of their outfit
The base bali business, OF course, is
becoming more and more l business every
year, without, Of course. ever losing it's
purely sporting character. But il will he
before Z player WHO has any SORT of SEN
tiaent in his carcass can so 10 another
lob by the trading process without ex-
ESt1"Yc!nS, ut the outset ;thyaow, the
ieclln2 OF orueriueSs o. which ! speak
Wien he goes I'D against his former team
mates. And, while v.e'Fe on that subject
j feel sorl.y- Tor the rlaye. who was no,
capable Ct feeling this sentiment
jim AIc.aieer eutertains tire belief Which
IS shared in By lot OF otaer Experts in
matters appcrta!ains TO base bah, that the
pcnuant buslness-the hooray and uproar
aud storm and strife orcr the biz rag,
;,at Is 20 s4y-really Is harmful to the
best interests Of the game
1T makes the whole game said Jim, "a
TIL" age. ''slu>eINIent 10 the wiuHiEs Of
taC Teanant. Now. Gcat get me a.. say
a1- ilts because ~ not there with u
Team that Is lup.ug ont ia front NTH "a
change u cop the rag. beca OF the
@a'Hc opinion u my bUncH was way up
there aud ia iiIc tor the Bunting. | was
IF the same opinion, III fact. aud SO eN-
pressed myself when the Browns were
within hitting distance OF the pe;iliaGt last
ear.
Tue penran; thing detfacts from the
stterest III Iii, game itself as i: sport. We
.ttc bit too keen III this country for that
coping something propo slti9n. That is
Z" Say. We dog't take exactly enough in
tcrCSt IN i sport FOR the sport sa ke MI
that We think about IS the grabbing out
et thc zig prize, ana We cont pay much
attention u the Individual or thu collec-
t'ou % iHdiydUaIS who're not in line FOR
tic cue main p3ze
.iUr instance. u boy who can stick