St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1910-08-06
AROUND
~ BASIS

Many fans actually believe that
their team will turn around and win
a tight game in that period. 1t mas
become a real baseball phrase" II
takes its rank from such trite express
sions as "You can hit 1t, old boy"
and well, it's our day to win"
In Cleveland. Detroit. Chicago. Co.
lumbus, Milwaukee. Memphis New
Orleans, Des Moines. Indianapolis,
South Bend, and all the seventh is re-
garded by the fans and even the ma
jority of the players, as the time to
do the killing. 1t is in the seventh
that the fans become tense, and the
players grit their teeth; 1t is the sew
enth that the boys perched on trees
and telegraph poles yell cut: Geo.
it's de seventh now"
John Garrison, in tanning bee at
Bay City, Mich, fully fifteen years ago
spoke casually of the lucky seventh
Ted Sullivan, known as a baseball
leader since the seventies, can't re-
member when it first sprung up. 1t
antedated Tim Murnane's memory,
and Tim" can go back scores of years
in the national pastime. 1t is an ex'
preston dear to fans.
Out on the village lots lads playing
with an impromptu ball believe as
firmly in the lucky seventh" as their
city brothers. If by any chance they
bat 20 runs against their deadly enc
my, the Seventh Streets Giants"
and win the game in the seventh they
light the fire before the Penates and
from that day become faithful and
ardent believers in the lucky sew
| enth."
Many of the antics of Hughey Jen'
| nigs on the coaching lines have been
construed as a system of signals Tor
his ball players, but such is not the
case. Jennings, like McAleer. does
not believe in complicated system
by which to guide his team. He, too
believes that ball players should be
allowed to think for themselves, and
it is really on rare occasions that Jen
nings gives any signs. In this way
he has made his team one which plays
intelligent baseball The Tiger sys'
tenn does not differ from that in vogue
on the old Baltimore team, as mem
Der Of which Jennings got his educa'
ton and made his reputation.
The only object Jennings has In the
many things he does on the coaching
lines is to keep his players keyed up
| i~H 3toh
doubt that he accomplishes this. In
fact, there is something about Jen.
nings' coaching which thrills ever the
hostile crowds.
He seems to instill confidence into
his batters, makes his fielders hustle
with his yells from the bench, and has
not a man on his team who Is not at
all times inspired with his confidence
and dash. The every movement OF
Jennings is that of hustler. and his
players have adopted his style. There
is never any tagging coming or going
to their positions. It's hustle with
Jennings at all times, and to this does
he owe much of his success and the
game much of its popularity. Take a
hustling team, even when 1t loses 1t
gives the spectators run for their
money, and this to certain extent ex'
plains the fact that the Tigers are a
great drawing card.
Baseball is a national institution
It's about the only sporting game we
have left in which the people have
absolute confidence. It's almost the
only game which the betting has not
spoiled. It is the only professional
game in the world where the players
hired men, every one Of 'em-play
with the spirit and the snap and the
dash of amateurs who really want ia
win. When baseball takes on the taint
of the gamblers money its days will
be numbered, but the game has come
out clean so far and long may it con
tinue in the same way.
Baseball Is a national benefaction
1t takes lot Of men out of their Of
fees stuffy afternoons and makes
them breathe fresh air and get little
healthy exercise for their vocal chords
A man was meant to yell once in g
while. He was meant to jump up and
down and bang his neighbours straw
hat down over his ears and let out
few healthy sentiments when the
umpire-poor, blind old man-misses
that third strike by mile and calls II
ball when every man with eyes IL
his head knows the batter is out.
; Thirty years ago we counted base
ball spectators by the hundred. Only
; little while before they could be
counted by the score. About ten years
ago we began to count spectators by
the thousand. 1t has gone to the mil
lion mark now. All records are com
pletely upset, and are likely not onl,
to remain so, but to be worse upset.
Millions can be accommodated nov
where there was only room for hun
dreds 80 years ago.
Baseball players bats differ In size
and shape as much as the players d.
in physique. And the strangest par
of it is that many of the big fellow!
: use small, well-shaped war club
while a couple of rabbits" wielt
something resembling wagon tongue
. An instance of this Is the woodpilt
, that Rebel Cakes, former Cincin
, natl star, but now with the Cardinals
uses A man can scarcely imagin,
, such little fellow swinging so larg,
| and heavy a bat as Cakes does. Th.
: opposite side of the case Is presente.
J by Bresnahan, who, while large in stat