Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-07-14
Baseball Players
Are Well Treated.

Professional baseball players of to-
day are very lucky individuals. They
are better taken care of, more care
fully nursed than any other athlete,
and this. too. is an athletic age:
The ball player is mollycoddled for
seven months Of each year, too. while
athletes in other lines have their
training seasons curtailed to meet the
requirements of some particular ath-
letic meet
No better Illustration of the progress
baseball has made in late years can be
furnished. possibly. than by compari
son of the present day training meth
DDS with those of 80 years ago. or even
20.
can remember the time when the
players of clubs in the National League
were glad to get a pail of water to
| wash up in after a game, and such
things as shower. plunge and needle
baths looked to be as far away as the
services of a trainer or rubber. And
that was not more than 25 years back.
writes Sam Crane. the New York base
ball critic.
In the earlier days of the game any
old kind of room and conveniences
were deemed sufficient for ball players
| by the club owners. The request of an
extra pail or a few more nails to hang
clothes on would be greeted with de-
rision, while the thoughts Of running
water would have caused the owner to
go daffy.
[ remember of an instance in Cincin-
natl during 1884 when one pail was
| considered sufficient for an entire team
| to wash up in. and after the additions
of the players We're performed the
! same pail was used as the teams
| "growler.' This was the year in which
| the Union Association tried to break
| into the cities Of Cincinnati. ST Louis
| Philadelphia and Boston. but without
success. AS the outlaws went up
the spout before the season was fin
ished
The Cincinnati Unions of 1884 played
| on the same grounds as those now &C.
cupied by the Cincinnati Reds. and
| Dan O'Leary was their manager.
| That there was only one wash pail in
| the stable called dressing room
can vouch for I was there one day af-
| ter a game and the home team had
beaten the ST. Louis Unions. their big
gest rivals. Manager O'Leary and his
players were. therefore. considerably
elated One of the boys remarked to
the manager:
| Dan. some beer wouldn't go bad !;
l am as dry as a fish
| "Certainly. me boy: we'll have a
| bucket" replied Dan.
| The one pail was found outside in
| the sun. driving out, and although it
| was strictly against the rules for any
| Intoxicating drinks to be brought into
| the dressing room. the manager. feel
| ing more than usually pleased over his
victory. decided to take the chance. A
| boy wasbcy was sent out with the
'growlcr" and the price with which to
| fill it to the brim.
Just as the boy was returning. Justus
| Thorner. the owner of the club. drove
up to the dressing room and entered.
The hoy came whistling merrily along
a minute later with the pail foamng
over with froth and dripping on the
| floor.
The manager saw that he must make
| some strategic move at once or his
head would he off in a fifty, so with
smile Dan asked the boy pleasantly:
why. what have you in the paii?'
| Beer" answered the boy; what you
ordered"
that spread over OLeary's face would
have made hit in a poker game.
| What" lie shouted. Beer; Didn't
| YOU hear me order milk"
| The case never came UP for trial.
| and no one was released.
| Conveniences for dressing were so
very poor at nearly all of the ball
grounds in the early days of the sport
that players frequently donned their
| uniforms at home and walked the
streets until time for the game. 1t was
a common sight to see players in
| uniform on the streets early in the
morning and late at night
AS for trainers and rubbers. they
were even further off than baths. and
| for club to hire a professional rub
Der would have been thought a crazy
proposition.
| But it was under those adverse con-
ditions that many of the best players
| the game ever saw was brought out
and developed into stars of such bril-
liancy that their regulations have not
| been dimmed since. What those old
! tHiSIS NOuiu nave DptOIHt d. pldytIS
| had they the benefits of the present
day training trips. trainers attentions.
| etc. is beyond me. but they were un
approachable then.
| The advent of the college player into
professional baseball caused a gradual
transformation from all the existing
| crude conditions to the present ub-to-
| date methods. without which no club
| thinks it is on the baseball map.
On the road the players travel in
| first class style and stop at the very
| best hotels. Rooms with baths are de-
manded by them, too. and secured.
Now that players do not dress at ho-
| tells, they are welcome guests, and it
can be said that they conduct them