Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-02-27
SPRING PHENOMENA
IN BASE BALL RANKS
Many Players Excite Wonder
in Practice and Then
Fade Away.
By Billy Evans.

This is the era OF the spring phenom In
base ball.
Now that tho spring training trips are
on the fans will hear much concerning
the cold weather wonders.
Since the close of the 1909 season major
and minor league clubs have been signing
youthful recruits with reckless abandon.
All kinds of nice things have been said
about the newcomers; shortly they are to
get the ong-looked-for chance to deliver
the goods.
The success that various managers
have had with young players in the last
three or four years has doomed the stock
of young blood considerably. or course.
the veteran with his experience Is all the
more valuable If he still possesses the
speed and ability he showed as q young
ster-stll, every manager is always on
tho alert for promising material among
the raw recruits.
The old saying that many are called,
but few chosen, fits in mighty well in
these days of modern base ball Every
year hundreds and hundreds OF ambitious
young ball players are signed up for the
bush and big league circuits, but few are
fortunate enough TO deliver the goods and
win a berth. From now until the opening
Of the season In the various leagues 1t
ambitious youngster will exert all his
energy to outshine the veteran Of many a
strenuous campaign. while the old stand
bys will bring into play every trick they
know to prove that no youngster has the
class to GUST them from their position as
a regular.
1t has been the same old story for years
the untiring energy and ambition of youth
pitted against the skill and knowledge
acquired only by experience. Each sea-
1Y~xv
throw Of some former idol and the n
stallation of some hitherto unknown
youth In his place. Base ball fame Is
truly little more than a fleeing fancy.
One season you are big hero: the next
season you may be Just as large q lemon
X Il
It's no easy task for any player tc
make good in the major or minors. It's
a rough road full of all kinds of OBJ.
stacles. that are only overcome by a
display of nerve and perseverance thai
simply refuses to be denied. It's no,
always the player with the most abil-
ity who creates the biggest stir In
league circles. OF course. ability Is the
one big essential. but with 1t he must
have nerve. confidence. gray matter
and last. but not least. he must be i'm
pervious to criticism.
1t is doubtful IL any person before
the public is subjected to more abuse
than the men connected with the great
national game. inc politician isn't eX-
copied in this classification. either. The
public seems to regard it as a divine
right to criticise or abuse the ball
player as it sees fit. The youngstel
who at the very start OF his career car
realize that 1T Is the public who pays
the salary, that the public has the
right to enjoy itself as 1t sees fit, will
have overcome one of the big obstacles
that confront any one who seeks tc
acquire fame in the grand old game OF
base ball.
Base ball scouts will tell you that
there are any number of minor league
stars who are dismal failures In the
big show, any number Of crack anna
tours and semi-pro. players who are
huge jokes in the minors. In these
same circles may be any number oil
players who do not appear to have halt
the ability of the stars, yet many OF
them make good in faster company
right off the reel. Some never can gel
comes with advancement: others who
look like stars In the bushes show q
decided lack Of gray matter.
Base ball managers have decidedly
different ideas as to the best time &c
break a youngster into fast company
Some base ball leaders much prefer the
games in the late fall. while others
look on the gentle spring as the ideal
time to look over the new recruits
constituted, has a different disposition
Consequently some very funny Incident.
take place in the career of every
youngster breaking into fast company.
his manner and action leta It be known