The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-07-31

PidyeiS VI to-uay are very
lucky individuals. They are bette.
taken care OF, more carefully nursed
than any other athlete. and this. too.
Is an athletic age.
The ball player is mollycoddled for
seven months OF each year. TO. while
athletes in other lines have their train
ing seasons curtailed to meet the re-
auirements OF some particular athletic
meet.
No better Illustration of the progress
baseball has made in late years can be
furnished. possibly than by compar!-
son OF the present day training
methods with those of thirty years
ago, or even twenty.
/ can remember the time when the
players of clubs in the National League
were glad to get a pail OF water to
wash up" in after game, and SUCH
things as shower, plunge and needle
baths looked to be as far away as the
services or a trainer or rubber. And
that was not more than twenty-five
years back. writes Sam Crane, tho New
York baseball critic.
In the earlier days OF the game any
old kind or room and conveniences
We're deemed sufficient for ball players
by the club owners. The request OF an
extra pail or few more nails to hang
clothes on would be greeted with deri-
sion, while the thoughts of running
water would have caused the owner
to go dafry.
remember OF an instance in Cincin-
natl during 1884 when one pail was
considered sutticient for an entire team
to wash up in. and after the ablutions
OF the players were performed the
same pail was used as the teams
"growler' This was the year in which
the Union Association tried to break
into the cities of Cincinnati. st. Louis.
Philadelphia and Boston, but without
success, as the Outlaws" went up
the spout" before the season was fin
ished
The Cincinnati Unions of 1884 played
on the same grounds as those now occu-
pied by the Cincinnati! Reds, and Dan
OLeary was their manager.
That there was only one wash pail
in the stable" called a dressing room
can vouch for. was there one day
after game, and the home team had
beaten the ST. Louis Unions, their big
gest rivals. Manager O'Leary and his
players were therefore considerably
elated One OF the boys remarked to
the manager:
Dan. some beer wouldn't go bad:
am as dry as fish,"
Certainly, me boy; we'll have q
bucket" replied Dan.
The one pail was found outside in
the sun. drying out, and although Il.
was strictly against the rules for any
intoxicating drinks to be brought into
the dressing room, the manager. feel
ing more than usually pleased over his
victory, decided to take the chance. A
Soy was sent out with the .growler.'
and the price with which to I'LL 1t to
the brm.
Just as the boy was returning. JUS
tus Thorner, the owner OF the club.
drove up to the dressing room and en-,
tered. The boy came whistling merrily
along a minute 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 or his head
would be of In jiffy. SO with smile
Dan asked the boy pleasantly:
| why. what have you in the pail?''
Beer" answered the boy; what you
ordered
Well. the look OF injured innocence
that spread over O'Leary's face would
have made a hit in q poker game.
What" he shouted. Beer! Didn',
you hear me order milk?"
The case never came up for trial. and
/ no one was released.
Conveniences for dressing were sc
very poor at nearly all OF the bal
grounds In the early days OF the spor,
that players frequently donned their
uniforms at home and walked the
streets until time for the game. II
was common sight to see players II
uniform on the streets early In the
morning and late at night
AS for trainers and rubbers, they
We're even further off than baths. and
for club to hire a professional rub,
Der would have been thought Graz.
proposition.
But it was under those adverse con,
ditions that many OF the best player
the game ever saw were brought ou
and developed into stars OF such bril-
liancy that their regulations have no
been dimmed since, What those old
timers would have become as player
had they the benefits OF the presen
day training trips, trainers attentions
ETC., Is beyond me, but they were un
\ approachable then.
The advent of the college player int,
professional baseball caused gradua
transformation from all the existin,
crude conditions to the present up-to
!, date methods, without which no clu
\ r.