The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-02-08

GOOD EYEsIGHT, REASON
The More Probable Cause, However,
is That They Seek This Form
Of Recreation During the
Winter Months.


In baseball has been an expert pool
or billiard player is rather interest
ing fact that came to light the other
night while Jack Doyle was trying to
get Hal Chase and John McGraw TO
play three-cushion billiard match
before the teams went south for spring
practice.
Chase and McGraw are both experts
with the cue. and it was while they
We're being discussed Pop Arson
called attention to the fact that all of
the great hitters were good with the
worries. Arson is a greater expert
than either McGraw or Chase at bill
lizards. and it is also true that he was
probably the heaviest hitter that base
ball ever had
There is no doubt explained An
son, "but that good eyes are required
to become expert at either baseball
or billiards. and when / was man
ager of the old Colts | always en-
couraged my players to try and be-
come pool and billiard players, so as
to develop their eyesight know it
helped me and believe it helps 9TH
ers. A man must have good eyesight
to be a good hitter. and if he has
good sight it is comparatively easy for
him to become expert with the ivor-
les
The idea struck the crowd as be-
ing SO novel that the records were
brought in and they show that With
the possible exception of Willie Keel
er and Hans Wagner al OF the hitters
have been billiard players. Arson
says the keen eyesight that helped
him to win that championship also
helped him to be a greater catcher.
Whether this appetite for billiards
is<due to the ball players good eye at
the bat or whether his good eye at
the bat is due to billiards, is an open
question. The records seem to bear
out the former. All of them became
good billiard or pool players after hav-
ing made reputation in baseball
The same keenness of sight is requir-
ed in both
Hal Chase has been a crack billiard
PLAYER as well as a crack batter since
his boyhood McGraw had hitting
average of more than $40 for seven
years, and he is now considered one
of the best amateur billiard players
in the country. Sherwood Magee is
very handy with the worries, and so
is Frank Chance of Chicago
When Mike Donlin was in the fight
for batting honors of the National
leagre he played in the amateur bill
lard tournament and was consider
ed one of the best players. Johnny
King of the Cubs was at one time
champion pool PLAYER Of the world.
Christy Mathewson is a crack three
cushion player, nd SO is Fred Merkle.
Larry I.aioie, the great hitter of the
Cleveland club. is an expert pool play
er and has taken part in several
amateur tournaments He SAYS that
his good eye at pool and baseball is
due to the fact that he has never al
lowed himself to read newspapers or
books by lamplight. In fact, Laioie
SAYS he has not read after dark for
more than ten years He thinks all ball
PLAYERS would be benefited if they
did not use their eyes by artificial
light.
Ty Cobb thinks SO well Of his bill
lard playing tnat he has challenged
Hal Chase to a match game the first
time they meet in Detroit. Eddie
Collins Is crack pool player, and
of the best PLAYERS in the school
Willie Keeler never became a bill
lard player because he did not care
for the game. While the other players
were toying with the worries Keelel
was always reading books. He ant
AL Orth have the reputation of being
the two greatest book-worms in base
ball.