The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1909-05-01
Do PLAYERS LOSE
NERVE IN GAMES
JOHNNY ENERS, CRACK INFIELD-
ER OF THE CHAMPION CUBS,
HAS HIS SAY.
(By John ]. Evers-Second Baseman
ChamDiOn "CuhS" ~

CBy John J. Evers-Second Baseman
Champion "Cubs")
1t is a strange fact that the losing
team in worlds championship series
is always dubbed "a crowd of cutters"
by the baseball-loving public. | know
this both from observation and from
experience, for l have been on a losing
nine-in 1906 when the White Sox
trimmed u.s. The baseball public are
fckle and their moods strange and mys-
terious, but this particular phase has
always been a puzzle to me. Surely,
they know that some team must lose
If It were only the rabid partisan who
sent up the cry it would not be sur
prising, but old experienced followers
of the game are just. as bitter in their
condemnation and abuse as the most
ardent and vociferous lover of the
home team.
For instance, take the series in 1903
between the Boston Americans and the
Pittsburg Nationals. 1t was the opin-
ion of almost everybody that Honus
Wagner, the great shortstop, lost his
nerve and quit. Being young at the
one of the knockers. But l have been
through it all since, winning and los
ing, and l know that such was not the
case. If there is one player labove an
other who needs nerve to succeed in
ordinary games, let alone champion
ships, it is that same wonderful man.,
Wagner. In the National league he is
a marked man. Every player works
against him, for he knows his Won
derful ability; every pitcher does his
best to fool him, for he fears his mighty
stick; yet, despite it all, he shines re-
splendent and continues to be the
greatest of the great.
In 1905 the Philadelphia Athletics,
after their defeat by the Giants, came
in for their share Of the abuse, and the
next year we were the unlucky victims.
The same fell to the lot of the De-
troit Tigers, defeated by us in the last
two contests for the worlds suprem-
acy / know from experience in the
series with the White Sox that most
of our boys didn't realize that they had
been beaten until after they had gone
tC their homes and started to corre-
spond with one another. In every
game there was the same do-or-die
spirit, the same determination to win,
even when it must have been evident
to the spectator that hope had fled.
Never was there any talk of letting
up or any question of anything but I'LL
innate victory. 1t was case of go, go,
go, no stopping or losing heart, and the
talk of quitting would be laughable.
if it wasn't so unjust and ranking to
the player The same spirit inflamed
the Detroit Tigers in all their games
with us. Even when we led them by
five or six runs. we never dared to
case up or consider them lightly We
knew the spirit that was urging them
on, respected and, in way, feared it.
Only too we'll did we relaize they need
ed but the slightest opening to jump
in and wrest away the laurels of vic
tory.
1t is rank case of injustice on the
part of the people to call the nerve of
the players into question, merely be-
cause the team has Deeh beaten n a
short series When a player mas won
the honor of representing his league in
a worlds championship fight, after
long and gruelling league season, when
every one tries his hardest to down me
ones that are on top, there should be
no talk of quitting. Every major leag-
uer has as his highest ambition the
hope of being on a worlds greatest