The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1910-06-28
GUSHING AND STUDYING
THE GAME HAS BROUGHT
"HAPPY" HOGAN SUCCESS
BY "HAPPY, HOGAN.

Copyright 1910. by Joseph r. BowIes)
N l tell how l win, maybe I'll lose.
But seriously. / am willing to write
what | know about winning ball games
TO help out the young fellows and
perhaps give them some points. tell
1t to them so loud and so often
might as well print Il.
The difference between a winning
ball player and losing one is all in
the disposition of the man himself.
Almost any ball player who is skilful
enough with his hands and feet to
play minor league ball is good enough
Tor the major leagues II he only will
study the game, and has the courage
and the nerve TO so forward. The
great weakness OF ball players lies in
the fact that they do not study their
own business, and TO win a man must
devote lot of time and thought to
every point OF the game attribute
what success / have had in the pro
iession to the fact that l always have
kept hustling and studying the game.
After game is played / get out by
myself and study It owe :, figuring how
plays were made, and how they might
pc improved upon, and then / try to
explain my theories to players. find
that when the manager can 20 into
his own clubhouse and discuss plays
with his men, he not only helps him
self, but helps the team. Lots of
times, in arguing over how plays were
made and how they should have been
made some bright player makes
suggestion that is helpful to every
one.
Thinking and fighting for every
point is what wins. believe in strict
discipline on ball fields, but / also
believe in fighting the umpires when
they are wrong. ! believe in claiming
everything In sight, and claiming it
quick. If there is n chance for argu-
ment on decision make the claim
for decision before the umpire makes
his decision and the chances are you
Will get the decision by thinking
quicker than the umpire did. Once the
decision is made yell real loud at
the umpire and then quit, for there is
no good In nagging at a man, no mat
ter how bad he may be- Let the yell
be loud enough to impress him.
have yelled lot of games out OF bad
umpires, but l claim l never yet have
let out yell when did not think l
was right.
AS for dealing with other teams.
with umpires and with my own men.
l have gone on only one principle
and that was to get an even break
and to give every one a square deal
and insist upon one for myself. If II
is necessary, ! believe in fighting for
that square deal all the time.
As for playing the game, | am a
firm believer in doing the unexpected
all the time, and upsetting the other
team by making plays for which they
arc not looking. Playing for one run
at time is my theory, and when run
ners are on bases, within scoring dis
lance, believe in abandoning all the
rules OF the game IN order to get the
runs home. 1t may be bad baseball
to hit with three balls and no strikes.
but If hit will score runs I want the
batters to hit. 1t may be bad base
ball to refuse to sacrifice with men
on bases and none out but If the play
er sees chance to hit through the
field, let him hit / try to place the
responsibility on the player himself
and to rely upon his judgment as to