Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-07-04

NEW YORK, July 4--Professional base
ball players of today are very lucky in
dividuals. writes Sam Crane. They are
better taken care of. more carefully nurs-
ed than any other othletes, and this, too,
is an athletic age.
The ball player is mollycoddled Tor
seven months of each year, too, while
athletes in other lines have their train
ing sea sons curtailed to meet the require
ments of some particular athletic meet
No better illustration of the progress
base ball has made in late years can De
furnished possibly than by comparison OF
the present day training methods with
those of thirty years ago or even twenty.
can remember the time when the
nlayers of clubs in the National League
were glad to get pail of water to wash
nm, in after a game. and such things as
shower plunges and needle baths looked
70 he as far away as the services of
q trainer or rubber. And that was not
more than two years back
In the earlier days Of the game any
old kind of a room and conVehiehces
were deemed sufficient for ball players
by the club owners. The request Tor an
extra pail or a few mere nails 10 hahs
clothes on would be greeted with derlsiof'
while the thoughts of running water
would have caused the owner 20 go daiiy
7 remember of an instance in Clncin-
natl during 1884 when one pail was con-
siGered sufficient for an entire team 10
wa sh I'D in and after the abiutlon OF the
players were performed ;he same pan
was used as the teams grower lHis
:,, vx-h: 2SSDci-
alton tried to break into the cities OF
Cincinnati, ST Louis, Philadelphia and
Boston, but without success, as tne OUT
laws" went up the spout before the
season was finished.
The Cincinnati Unions Of 1884 Played on
the same grounds as those now occupied
bv the Cincinnati Reds and Dan OLeary
was their manager.
THAT there was only one wash pail in
the "stabIe," called dressing room. L
can youch for. l was there one day
after a game and the home team had
beaten the st. Louis Unions. Their hissest
rivals Manager OLeary and his players
were, therefore, considerably eiateu one
of the BOYS remarked to the manaser:
Dan. some beer Weuioh go pdu' am
as dry as fish
Certainly. me boz, Well nave buck
ct replied Dan.
The one pail was found outside in the
sun. drying out, and. although Ii was
strictly against the rules for any in
toxicafine drinks to he brought into
the dressing room. the manager, feel
ing more than usually pleased over the
victory. decided to take the chance. \
how was sent out with the GROWER
and the price Win NAicii 10 HI II ~
the brim.
Inst as the boy was returning, JustuS
Thorner, the owner of the club. drove
nm to the dressing room and entered
Tho hoy came whistiing merTily along
a ninute later with the pail foaming
over with froth and dripping on the
floor.
The manager saw that he must make
some strategic move at once OF mas
bead would be off in a jiffy, so with a
smile Dan asked the boy pleasantly:
WHY. what have you got In the
pail?' ~ 49,,
ordered"
Well. the look of injured innocence
that spread on O'Leary's face would
have made a hit in a poker game
what" he shouted. beer. Dian
Won hear me order milk?
The case never came up loF Trial. anu
no one was released.
conyeniences for dressing were SO
very moor at nearly all of the BAH
grounds in the early days of the sport
that pIayers frequently donned their
,;forms at home and walked the
streets until time for the game IL
WAS common sight to see players in
uniform on the streets early IN the
morning and late at night
&C FOR. trainers Or rubDers, tley were
oven further off than baths, ard TOR a
club to hire a professional rubper WonIo
hove heen thought a crazy proposltlon.
p,,+ II was under these adverse cGaci-
.;ane that rlary Of the best Players the
game ever saw were bHc"gnt ont anu
SaveIoped into stars or Sucil prlilahc!
~ their regulations have rot been
ai,red since What chose oid-t'mers
would have become as players had they
The benefits Of the present day training
trims trainers attentions, etc, is peNonu
nc. but they were unapproachab.e then.
Ti,e advent OF the college player into
Confessional base ball caused gradual
Transformation from all the existing
crude conditions to the present up-to-
date methods, without which no cruz
thinLs If is on the base ball map.
The piayers' clubhOuses on the Pitts
burg and Brooklyn ball parks are fur
nished with libraries, costly rugs cover
tho floors, there are billiard tables ana
houl;ne alleys and baths of every de-
scy;ntion. Trainers and rubbers are at
.ha nIavers beck and call al all hours
of the day and night. Other clubs have
nearly as well furnished clubhouses.
On the road the players travel in first
class style and stop at the very best
hotels. Rooms with baths are demanded
by them, too. and secured. Now that
ME yers do not dress at hotels. they are
welcome guests, and it can be said that
they conduct themselves like gentlemen
as general thing
Twenty years ago, instead OF a lower
berth in a Pullman sleeper, it was the
old elbow nod in the now despised Sui
livan.'
But have the players Increased in pro-
fessional ability in proportion TO their
improved surroundings?
I think not.