The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1909-04-11

LOS ANGELES. Cal, April Ill
wonder if the bali players of the pres
emf time realize how much better on
they are than the stars Of the old
days. said Ted Sullivan. father of
leagues, today, as he watched buck"
the .colored trainer of the White Sox,
hustling around caring for his charges
as if they were invalids.
Just see that now. There's that
young giant Git was Scott, Chicagos
new pitching find) going to the
bench after an easy inning and the
trainer holding his sweater for him and
ready to massage his arm as if it
were pure gold and set with diamonds
John Clarkson would turn over in his
grave if he could know of such tender
care being given "a 21-year-old boy
whose arm is as strong as an oak.
Well, well, when you come to think
of it, how times have changed in the
baseball business!
why" unused Ted, when Rad
bourne pitched 81 consecutive games
for me when I was manager of the
ST. Louis team in 'S4 he didn't know
what it was to have some one stand
ing around ready to give his wonder
full pitching arm a rub And he went
on winning his games, too. Twenty
one victories out of 81 consecutive
e4ames. What would these modern
pitching wonders think Of doing all
that work and with nobody to minister
unto them between innings?
The Game Is progressing.
well, 1 suppose this training bust
ness is in line with the march Of
progress in baseball, but at that
don't believe we have any better pitch
ers today than Radbourne, Carruthers,
Sweeney, Clarkson and Foutz. All,
that was the golden era of pitchers!
What might those great fellows have
done had they been given the groom
ing that the present day twirlers re-
ceive!"
The advent of the trainer among
the ball teams is of quite recent 1ate
That his services are needed must be
taken for granted, since every ball
team in the major leagues has one at
least part of the season, and not
few of the minor league clubs emplof
a trainer during the early part of the
year, while the pitchers are rounding
into form.
If a star player has corn on his
little toe or any minor blemish it is
watched by the trainer with all the
care given a prima donna's vocal
cords.
Of things keep going on this way
said Ted Sullivan, 1.-The club will soon
have to provide valet for each play
err to carry his glove out to him.
speaking of gloves" continued the
watchful Sullivan, who, by the way,
formed the first minor league. ut was
the introduction Of those fine fielding
gloves that caused the first big de-
crease in batting. Base hits are
knocked down and smothered nova
days which the fielders of 20 years
ago couldn't negotiate. But at that
I believe the gloves are good thing.
They may take little away from the
rugedness of the game, but l guess
there is no danger of the national
pastime becoming effete.
Sensational Plays Liked.
spectators like to see the wonder
full catches and running scoops OF
ground hits. Without the use of the
glove the fielders couldn't handle 20
per cent of the difficult chances they
do now.
Some of the patrons of baseball
may argue to do away with the gloves
if it would result in more base hits.
But / want to say that those same
fans would be the first to protest
when the batting was increased.
1--WE hear good deal about give
us more hitting Well, as matter
of fact it is not more hitting that the
public wants. The fans want the