The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-03-21
TRAINING TRIPS
{ PAY, MiGNhTES
preliminary Work Gets Every
BODY in Shape for Open
ing Game.
sy7uMPIRE BILLY EVANS.


Dad investments for the many clubs
who make the annual spring visit to
Dixieg
This mueh-mooted question has been
discussed from every angle for years by
Iahs and club owners. Strong argu-
sides
Several club owners have tried the
piase OF training in the north with very
poor success. and on several occasions
AFTER a week or two Of bad weather
nave shifted with all haste to some
camp III the south. The very fact that
the teams continue to go south is the
pest proof in the world that the men
pehind the guns regard the spring
training "Trip as profitable investment,
ooth artistieaily and financially.
No doubt to the average fan il seems
quite an item Of expense for q club to
send thirty or forty men south for six
weeks TO get in shape for the coming
season at the expense OF the club The
players always travel on the best trains,
stay at the best hotels and get every
attention possible. Each spring every
major league club must spend $4,000 on
the preliminary work.
Sometimes the weather. conditions in
the south are not any too favorable, and
other times the various clubs run into
all kinds of tough luck on their v-ay
north Exhibition games that had been
arranged for during the winter must
De postponed on account OF weather or
ground conditions, and many chances
are lost to get back some of the money
spent
When training trips were first inauE-
urated years ago the coming of a ma
Jor league club 10 the south was an
event OF much Importance, The ar
rival of the big league stars was anx-
lously awaited, and during their stay
they were very much OF the whole show
he exhibition games would always
diaW big crowds, and often quite a lit
tie money would be made in this way
The coming of the stars Is no longer a
matter OF so much Importance in Dixie:
II is regarded as rather commonplace
ahair, and no longer do the teams draw
such big crowds.
While in a few respects the pilgrim
ages to the south may not attract as
nuch attention as in former days, in
other ways it Is of far more inheritance
or late years the game has been max
ing such rapid strides In every yvav the
fans and scribes at home are paving
lots more attention to the doings IN the
spring training camps 1t Is in this one
respect that the club reaps a big rev
enue on its investment
Practically every major league team
that goes south nowadays takes anv-
where from four to six correspondents,
as well as several photographers. to pen
Gil and picture the doings of the differ
ent teams while In the south
AFTER a long winter in which the fans
nave lived on views and near-views of
what would happen during the ap-
preaching season they welcome some
real news about the players and the
prospects as seen from the field of bat
tie. Baseball is one sport that lives the
year around. The club owners realize
this, and are always alert to any meas
ure that viii help perpetuate the game.
For I'VE or six weeks prior 10 the
opening of the season the fans devour
with relish all the dope that is served
up TO them by the staff correspondents.
The opinions of the writer's on all sub
jects are considered, and many a heat
ed argument is caused by some Of the
stuff sent from the south.
4 1t is also a time when the fans NAV
read about the bush league phenoms.
During the training trip each year ev-
cry club appears to have several who
are bound to set the league on fire.
Sometimes they make good and live I'D
to even the strongest advance notices,
but generally they are put out before
they even get chance to start any
cOnf1agration in the majors.
The -scribes realize that the fans in
their home town are familiar with all
the good and bad qualities of the vet
Grams, and they always select the
youngsters as fit subjects for stories of
all kinds. Some of them are real truth.
others are nearer fiction.
The height weight, the peculiarities,
in fact, everything about the youngsters
that might be of interest is dished up
for the fans consideration. For four or
five weeks the new recruit has the
spotlight continually played on him
Often it's the only chance. ne will ever
get, or at least get for time. If he is
sent back TO the minors, which is often
the case, he usually has "A hard time
breaking into fast company again, II
he is kept it's usually for duty on the
bench, and it's mighty hard 70 show
ability or break into print when all you
have 10 do is sit around, look wise and
try TO be useful.
This preliminary dope that is handed
out before the season opens gets every
body in prime shape for the first game
Naturally all the stuff they have read
about the youngsters makes the fans
anxious to look them over. Sometimes
they are disappointed. while every now
and thenSA youngster shows up far bet
ter than anyone expected.
Just at present the Cleveland fans are
all anxi0cs 10 look over the new Maps
and pass judgment. SO many nice
things have been said about all the new
recrldts, Easterly and Sitton in paICic-
uIa1 that the Cleveland fans are be-
eisning to believe that they have some
sing pretty classy in the raw this year.
Chicago fans have been getting great
reports from the coast about a new
southpaw, Suter; ST. Louis fans are en-
thusing over Louie Evans of the Cardi-
asif.ls, and Catcher Smith, a new
8rownie; Boston fans are hearing all
Inds of nice things about some of Tay-
D 4rs new recruits, and Cincinnati fans
u e anxiously awaiting the Homecoming
Sf lGriffth's new stars. It's the same
way in every city, the fans are certain
that with the new talent they are sure
to be in the running.