The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1910-07-09
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Hurry! It's the lucky seventh"
What city, either major or minor
league, does not claim the seventh in
ming as its luckiest period at bat?
Few If any.
Many fans actually believe that
their team will turn around and win
a tight game in that period. 1t has
become a real baseball phrase" II
takes its rank from such trite express
sions as You can hit it, old boy"
and :'WeIl, 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
iority 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; it is the sew
enth that the boys perched on trees
and telegraph poles yell out: Gee,
it's de seventh now"
John Clarkson, 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. It
antedated Tim Murnane's memory,
and Tim" can go back scores OF years
in the national pastime. 1t is an Sx-
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 for
his ball players, but such is not the
case. Jennings, like McAleer, does
not believe in a complicated system
by which to guide his team. He, too,
believes that ball players should be
allowed to think for themselves, and
1t 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-
TEN does not differ from that in vogue
on the old Baltimore team, as a 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
to the highest pitch, and there is no
doubt that he accomplishes this. In
fact, there Is something about Jen-
nings' coaching which thrills even the
hostile crowds.
He seems to instflI confidence into
his batters, makes his FEEDERS 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 a 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 q
hustling team, even when it loses II
gives the spectators run for their
money, and this to certain extent ex
plains the fact that the Tigers are 8
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-p1ay