The daily Alaskan., 1910-03-07
NOW BASEBALL
 PLAYERS TRAIN.
Diamond Stars Must Work Hard
 Before Season Begins,
PRACTICE MAHY HOURS DAILY


 Shape For Opening Game-sPrins
 Trips Very costly-Trainin9 Season
 to Start Shortly.
 By TOMMY CLARK.
 The spring baseball training season is now at hand. Within the next few weeks the sixteen major baseball clubs will have their players batting the ball. running the bases. working to take or supernuous weight and un- doing the crimes against good condi- ton that have been wrought by win ter of idleness. In fact, many players are on their grounds now Manager Johnny McGraw of the New York Ma tionals already has at work in Mar lin. Tex. some of the pitchers upon whom be will depend in his efforts to have championship team in Gotham this season. The coming of March is a signal for tllring the American land scape so that all big ball players who in the summer contribute to the ex- citemeut of the peunant races are sent flying to the different training camps to find che sunshine that is so essen tIal in getting athletes in good condi- ton.
 Those who know the diamond heroes only by the work they do in August would not recognize the same men if they saw them laborIously striving to get in shape at the Jraiping camps. Work that Is accomplished with light ming celerity in the height of the sea- son is performed slowly, painfully, or not ut all.
 Worlds champion batsmcn are un- able to hit the curves of the bush Ieaguers. star catchcrS have not arms enough 10 throw the ball to second base. fleet outfclders hobbIe and limp at the protest of suffering muscles and wonderful pitchers fall so far short of having their midsummer ef' fectivencss that they are pounded not only by their own comrades, but by any minor league club that happens to be in the district of the tour.
 Those who imagine that the profes- siouaI baseball player is busy only few months during the year and the rest of tue time has it easy should see the teams at practice long before the season opens. The players go to work in the morning, like the average busi- ness man. and the way they are put through their paccs sends them home at night footsore and weary and ready for bed soon after supper The men start for the ball park after breakfast, and besides the games played with picked teams they practice running and throwing and batting,
 Professional baseball today means weeks and weeks of training, just as the pugilist prepares for a match, and a player must have a strong consitu- ton to stand the excitement and strain upon mind and muscle during the hard fought games. While the actual play ing season is about six mouths long, from the middle Of April 10 the first or second week in october. long before the race for the peanant starts the men are hard at work, and from then on to the last game played they earn every dollar they receive
 This early training is costly Before the players assemble at the training headquarters the secretary and the ground keeper have gone on ahead to look after the playing field, the hotel accommodations, the advertising arr engagements and the innumerable other minor details. With the team finally gathered together the work comes thick and fast. It costs a nice little figure to feed and house these healthy athletes, not including trainers. rub bers and other camp followers. Then there are big transportation bills and fair sized items for playing purapher- nalia. which includes suits for home and out of town games. gloves. hats and balls and numerous sundries. The training trip is an expensive necessity, and the club is lucky if the preliminary games have paid half of the cost of the sOjOurn in the south and on the coast
 No other sport is as expensive as our national pastime Some money k taken in at the gate by the exhibition games that are played en route, but it is safe to say that the big clubs spend every year about S15O,OOO on the spring training trips