Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-03-22

= would have to answer the deadly
spikes" worn on the shoes OF the player.
Though baseball has advanced a deal
In the last ten years and the danger to
the players has been minimized con-
slderably, no one has as yet been able
to find substitute for the spikes worn
on the bottom of the shoes of the
players.
More good ball players have been in
iured by being spiked than from any
other cause. AT different times in
yentors have tried to secure suitable
substitute for the triangular blades OF
steel worn by the players, but all have
failed.
When player slides into a base feet
first there Is always the danger that he
will spike the bagman. From constant
contact with the ground these spikes
are nearly as sharp as knife blades, and
when they come in contact with any
part of a players body they usually
leave ugly wounds.
At different times cleats, such as
are worn by football players, peveiec
spikes, and other forms of footholds
have been tried, but they all proved
failures.
For some keen-w itted inventor there
Is a good field in the invention OF q
"foothold' for players that Will prove
as efficient. though less hurtful, than
the present spikes, and the man who
invents the proper sort of spike VIII
net himself handsome fortune.
1t does seem passing strange that
year after year Oakland can PICK up
such a fine, healthy, well-mannered lot
of young men, who can play at base
ball, but seldom play 1t.
Ill I'D hoe ne n q
as one would care to look at, but they
play baseball a good deal after tne
manner of Rudyard Kiplings gun bull
locks. Like those gun bullocks, they
can do the work that they see peIore
them. But that Oakland outfit is as
guiltless of playing heady basepali as
Kipling's bullocks' are of an acqualnt-
ance with the Latin tongue.
Fine, big fellows, they are. Well
hammered handsome, broad Shouldered,
fall almost godlike, but as bone-headed
an aggregation as ever played ball.
When Ed Walter is signing up his
team next season it would be grand
idea for him to sign up man great or
bicep and tricep, strong of muscle, one
who could rub the heads of the oak
land players so that he might induce
some fiuidity of thought, an accelera~
ton of the mental process, quicken
ing of their baseball thoughts. some-
thing, anything, to make the Oakland
players think with great degree OF
auickness and accuracy.
Oakland always has a bunch of bone
heads This seasons team seems no
exception to that general rule. IL IS
up to the Oakland management to 90
something, anything, everything, TO m
duce more heady ball-playing on the
1ft he rala rQnreSenI
city.
In Don Cameron 1t does look as
though Oakland has picked up a real
classy first baseman. The big tellow
is as sweet looking hitter as has been
picked up by any Coast league team In
many a season.
Cameron takes a nice healthy clip at
| the ball He has style at the pat. he
! stands up right, cuts at the ball ike a
| fencer cutting at a mark He does not
swing himself out of position, but
meets the pellet fair and square and
nuts a deal of sharp force back of his
larrups. Also Cameron looks like a
neat and artistic first baseman. He is
no sloven around that initial bag and
he handles everything that is shot his
way like q master of his position.
Even If Oakland never does anything
else for the Coast league 1t appears
right now that they are entitled to con-
| sideration for picking up such nifty
! looking ball player as this lad Cam
eron appears to be.
Mike Breyette has very peculiar
style of getting the ball away from
him, but he manages to get the ball to
first base in exceedingly quick time
He seems to put the ball after the man
ner of a shot-putter rather than to
throw it like a Wallace or a Wagner,
but he gets results, He is about as
fast a man as there is in the league in
getting the leather away from him,
and that counts a deal in the favor OF
any infielder.
Duffy Lewis serves to illustrate the
| fact that some real good youngsters
| can be picked up in California yet AS
| a rule the Coast league magnates send
! east for their recruits. Lewis success
shows that good ball players are not
yet extinct in California and 1t looks
as though it would not be the worst
of politics to encourage home talent.
Our old friend, Ted Easterly. former
| catcher for the Los Angeles team, is
making good with both feet in practice
games at Mobile, according to news
paper clipping have just received
The Cleveland Maps have just grabbed
the fourth game of the series from the
Mobile club and from the reports. East
erly and George Perring, the latter
who played with the Azusa team in the
California Winter league ranks recent
ly, are handling the sphere in big
league style.
In a game on the Mobile diamond
March is, Manager Lajoie sent "Cy'
to the mound while Easterly was sent
behind the bat to receive him. In the
fifth inning Perring opened with a
| safety to center Easterly bounded to