The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-07-21
~ BY SAM CRANE.

Baseball players OF today are as
smooth CT face as the day they were
born. Not whisker. not a mustache
is allowed TO disngure the clean cut
ministerial aspect of the ball players
cameolike visage. In fact, whiskers
and mustaches are tabooed from the
baseball Professionalism are under "A
ban as close and tight as any unwrit-
ten law was ever respected and kept,
But IL was not always thus. TWEEN
ty years ago hirsute face growths were
all the rage among members OF the
baseball profession. They were the
style, and II was almost worth any
players job TO appear on the fieid
without something in the facial hir-
suite line. The young blood players OF
twenty years ago had TO raise some
thing on their upper lips, no matter
how foggy or scattering. II prom
ising youngster could show nine on
a side" the chances were that he
would make the regular team and
have his salary increased the first
month OF his long-sought-for engage
ment
There was much leeway accorded
the players in those days as TO the
cut of their facial adornments. Tween,
~ years previous-that Is, forty years
ago-the general run was TO whiskers,
even ''galways," loose chewing. .
lace curtains" and "lambrekuins" be.
ing In style.
Harry Wright, the famous manager
captain Of the Cincinnati Red Stock
lngs, went TO the loose chewing
style. Harry's whiskers covered his
face like Herr Most's.
Asa Brainerd, the pitcher OF the
Cincinnati Red Stockings. thought
more OF his "burnsides" than he did
OF winning Il game, and indeed they
were most becoming. Andy Leonard
the crack leftfielder OF the Cincinnati
and Boston Reds, wore the cutrat OF
little "siders," as did Rose Barnes
the crack second baseman of those
early days. Charley Gould. the first
baseman OF the Red Stockings and
later with the Boston Reds. took NJ
the mustache and goatee style and
was a very handsome man, stern look
ing and soldier like, but how he could
kick at any umpire Gould is now q
policeman in Cincinnati. George
Wright followed after Gould with the
Whiskers did not go entirely out OF
style for long while. for the original
"Jiggs" Donahue carried full facia
regalia around with him long after
mattress makers formed a trust. II
was not public opinion that caused
"Jiggs" TO shake his whiskers, not al
all. "Jiggs" was pitcher. but occs
sionally be played right field. He was
kept in for his batting and that foI
a pitcher Is going some. Well, one
day while "Jiggs" was member Of
the Nashville (Tenn) club the Nash
villes were playing the Giants an ex
hibition game in Nashville. The regu
lar grounds OF the local club were
flooded by the spring rains. so the
scene of hostilities was transferred 70
the ball field OF college.
Jim O'Rourke, left fielder OF the
Giants at the time OF the tragedy. was
playing the same sun field at the Polo
grounds that now botheTs Josh DE
Wore and Josh wears no mustache tC
deceive us. Well one day when old
Sol was more than generally gener
GUS with his beams, ball was knock
ed into O'Rourke's territory. 1t was
a most exciting stage Of the game
II the fiy was caught, the Giants
would win but II the ball was missed
dire defeat for the Giants and victory
for the detested Chicago White Stock
ings and the Giants closest and bitter
est rivals.
II had been an intensely exciting
game, and the score was to in the
Giants favor up TO the climax thai
marked the fly bit TO O'Rourke. There
were two Chicagos out and a man or
third and one on second. The fly was