Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-08-14
FRICTION IS BAD
FEATURE IN BASE BALL
PLAYER With Grudge Destroys
Confidence of Other Men,
bers of Team.

Internal friction in base ball is one or
the biggest thorns in the side of the
lovers Of the sport that is to be con-
tended with as the game is played In
these latter days, and as some view 1t
this squabbling among players is going
to prove dangerous to the welfare of
base ball as long as the game exists. for
ball players are only human, and as such
are as prone to follow out the ways Of
mortals as men in other walks Of life.
Certainly internal friction is keeping
many a good team from climbing upward
at a pace commensurate with the ability
Of the players comprising the club. A
little bitterness can break up the team
work of whole squad.
Just by way of example, let us take
a certain ball club. the name not men
toned and see how it works out. Jones
and Smith are shortstop and second base
man, respectively. Both are splendid
workers in their own field, are pals and
love their jobs. Peters. another chum OF
theirs, is playing first, and all Is lovely
the team Is playing championship ball.
Suddenly Peters loses his eye, or some
thing, and can not fill the bill at first in
a way to satisfy the manager or the
fans. The consequence Is that Peters IS
conner. takes his place. Brown is every
thing desired. He is young. ambitious,
fast, hard hitter and a wonderful
guardian of the base. Naturally Peters
to Jones and Smith. and they sympathize
with him. We'll get that new guy"
they say to themselves. and then see
what happens.
Although naturally perfect throwers, as
the word goes in base ball. Jones and
Smith seem to fall off slightly in throw
ing to first. They feed the newcomer
now and then with wicked first bounce
or q wide throw, which leaves him open
to danger. Brown Smells a rat" but
can't say anything for fear of entirely
losing his caste in the games. He SIM
ply has to take what is given him, with
the result that he loses his confidence.
No longer is he sure Of a throw, and pos
sibly good player is lost to the game as
q consequence
These same players who went out OF
their way to put hurdles in the young
ster's path may have had nothing against
him personally. but they work them
selves up to such pitch that they finally
bear him fancied grudge, and this
crystallizes into the real thing eventually.
They are just as eager to win as any OF
their mates and do not pull off any of
these queer stunts during dangerous
makes the squad much weaker and takes
away much of its championship POSSIBLE
tiles.
Another way to break a recruits heart
simple thing to do and cannot be de-
tected even by the most expert. Say the
recruit gets on first by virtue of hit
or walk He is now i'm the hands of
the coacher. who may either send him
down to second on hit and run play, a
sacrifice or a goal, or make him hold the
sack If the hit and run or sacrifice play
is signaled for this is when the batter
can get in his queer play" He simply
has to make q swell bluff OF trying to hit
the ball and Intentionally miss it. Then
the runner is almost surely nailed by the
catcher's throw to second and made to
look foolish.
This is Simple way, and. according to
reports, often has been resorted to. A
few of these tricks and the newcomer is
made to look so bad running bases that
the fans commence calling him a dub
and call out for another change. There
is no way of checking the practice, and
1t is likely to go on. in sub rosa fashion,
until the call Of time. Fortunately such
a state of affairs is the exception rather
than the rule. Otherwise the game
would not be able to stand up under the
resultant criticism.
Discordance among players frequently
is heralded in the press, and it makes
the average fan tired of it all. 1t Is to
be hoped by the fair-minded fan that
last seasons politics I'm the old leagues
will be eliminated, for already the public
is clamoring for sportmanship, even
among the magnates.