Omaha daily bee., 1909-11-21
SHOES HERE TO STAY
No Suitable Substitute Found Which
Will Answer for Base Ball Men
LEATHER SPIKES ARE NO GOOD
They Give a Player Sore Feet and
a Him OFF I'm the Middle OF
the Season, when He L.
Most Needed

NEW YORK, Nov. 2O.-The spiked shoe
will continue to be a part Of the game Of
base ball. OF this there is not the slightest
doubt among magnates and league Off
cials.
For some time past there has been a
great agitation against the harm-doing
blade, and many men have spent much time
trying to solve the problem which would
mean the doing away with the spike. All
kinds Of things have been tried, but mono
have answered the same purpose as the
spike. And II is to stay.
One of the latest inventions Is the chain
arranged triangularly on the sole Of the
shoe. But this will not do. The ball
player has to be on his feet, running about,
engaged in actual play for about seven
months out Of the year, and unless the
grips on the shoe are made in a manner
to cut into the ground with but little re-
slstance. the sole of the players foot will
become so caloused that in a short while
he will be laid up for about as long as
though he had been spiked.
Football players, who are engaged in
actual work for a period Of time covering
scarcely more than ten weeks, twelve at
the outside, are often troubled with this
c~alouse. caused by the resistance Of the
leather elects. And It is to avoid this that
the ball tossers file their spikes.
In the fall OF the year and in the early
spring when the ground is hard and ever a
steel spike which is at all dull, fails to
penetrate deep enough into the turf to
permit the foot to rest fatty on the
ground the players feel it and frequently
are forced to limp, the pain is so intense.
Back in 1904 when the Boston Red Sox
won the championship of the National
league, Jimmy Collins was troubled so
badly that each afternoon before going on
the field he put a raw piece OF beef in his
shoe to act as a sort of cushion insole.
This was necessitated by the unusual
hardness of the ground in the lnfield at
Boston.
Legislation Needed.
However, the chance Of injury would be
materially lessened by a little legislation
on the part Of the rules making bodies Of
both big leagues. There is probably no
club which has suffered so much from
spiking as the Cleveland Blues. 1t will be
recalled that I'm 1905 when the Ohioans
were making a runaway race OF the Amer
lean league marathon and enjoyed q lead
of 100 points by the first OF July that Ma
poleon Lajoie was spiked in St. Louis and
laid up for the rest Of the season with
blood poisoning. The club fell off and fin
ished fifth.
f. S. Barnard of the Cleveland club re-
Gently expressed his views on the spike
question. He said that he had studied the
situation for some time and reached the
conclusion that the injuries could be re-
duced to a minimum without doing away
with the spike
why not compel all base runners to
slide head first?" said Barnard, and then
attach a penalty for the blocking Of any
base by calling the runner safe II the
fielder blocks him IN any way. Ii the
runner slides feet first call him out. BY
these two very simple changes in the rules
much good would be done.
o course, there is another side Of the
question which must be given considera-
ton" continued MI. Barnard. There are
some ball players who in their desire to
make the bag safely would run out Of the
line a foot or two and slide into the
fielder. Unde these conditions the base
umpire should be forced to use his judg-
ment and rule accordingly.
AT the present time there are many Eel
lows who nave 10 be turned aside as in
fielders because they are spike shy. They
have all the qualities of excellent players.
but they cannot face the steel Of a runner
who jumps into the bag feet first