Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-02-27

that he intends to burn up the big show.
Any youngster who SO announces himself
takes unto himself handicap before he
gets under way. Such a stand always
makes the veterans more or less sore.
arouses their enmity and invariably
works to the detriment Of the newcomer.
Then there is the bashful, backward
chap who is really afraid to assert him
self. who is ever awed at the many stars
on the same team with him. Quite often
players Of this sort fail to stick In fast
company simply because they lack the
initiative. Others soon get over this fea
ture and show the ability they really
possess. Then there 10 the willing, cheer
full recruit who doesn't think the base
ball world revolves about him as an
axis, who realizes the veterans know
more about the sport than he does. who
Is always willing to learn and anxious to
be corrected. Any recruit with such a
disposition is sure to get away with a
good lead. for the older players are al
ways anxious and willing to help him
and make his job Of sticking all the
easier.
In commenting on chesty players, I re-
came to the American League, a few
seasons ago. The young man. I believe,
is now working hard for a living. When
he Joined the club in question he soon
made his presence felt by talk and man
ner; while on the ball field he had more
to say than the other eight players. and
the team in question did not lack ginger.
His line Of talk was not only abusive. but
very personal. He told pitchers like Addie
Joss. Bill Donovan. Walter Johnson and
quite few other cracks, that they
wouldn't be in the league next year. He
informed Ty Cobb that he was slower
than a switch engine, and implored him
to lay down a few bunts so he could
His entire conversation was on this order.
Strangely enough, for about a week the
young man with the large vocabulary
stepped at a Misunderstanding clip He hit
and stole base after base. 1t was only a
flash in the pan. however.
1 happened to be working with Jack
Sheridan in the games in which the new
recruit was showing such great form.
paid little or no attention to the UNI
pires. He appeared to be wise young
man in that respect. A tribe inflated,
however, over the way he had been cut
ting up, he couldn't resist the temptation
to say a few things to the jumps.
Things began breaking badly for him
one day, both in the field and at the bat,
and when Jack Sheridan called him out
on a strike that looked like a sure-enough
bail to the recruit he turned around and
with a look of utter disgust remarked:
why, the umpires up here are even
binder than they are In the bush"
1t took Sheridan about two days to re-
cover. but ne had sweet revenge. The
young man began to hit the toboggan
and Sheridan didn't fail to let him know
about every bonehead play he pulled off
or every error he made. One day before
getting in bad with Jack he told him
that as yet the big league pitchers had
not shown him anything that he hadn't
seen In the minors. Every time he famed
after that, and he whitfield quite often
Jack never failed to ask him II he had
discovered any new stuff.
A number of new players will be tried
out In both the big leagues this year and
in every minor organization. Some man.
ayers are banking strongly on the show
ing made by these men to round out
their teams. AS is always the case there
is sure to be number of surprises and
disappointments. Some players looked on
as sure-enough corners because Of their
past records will blow UP. much to the
disgust of their managers. Other COM
paratively unknowns will play rings
round some Of the highly touted boys
The selecting of young blood is pretty
much Of a gamble, you can never tell.
Young players have helped build up
the Boston and Philadelphia Americans
and added much strength TO the champion
Pirates. Many a manager is hoping
against hope that he may have picked
up an Adams. Miller or a Collins in his
bunch of recruits.
Base ball fans the country over will
soon have all their doubts settled about
the much-touted recruits.