El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-08-17

there is one man who has less chance
to become an interested spectator of
ball game frcm the bleachers than
any other person. and that man is.
strange TO say, the player himself. The
big league star Is confined to his own
schedule. he sees few or no contests
outside of his own league, and even
those contests he views from the bench
or as an active participant. Evers Is
an exception to the rule and ne gives
Some "reminiscences of the typical
~sTAR In the ROLE OF SPECTA-
TOR He says,
IF the average American youth were
& to be asked what he desired to be
- in baseball 1t is a safe bet TO say
that big majority OF them would
answer, 81 would like to be a big
ieaguer(' Such is the ambition of
nearly every boy or young man who
has ever handled baseball and. in
these days when baseball has reached
its present high standard, It is an am
bition not to be sneered at.
After playing professional baseball
for nearly a decade, and all but a few
months with the same club the Chi
cago Cabs of the National league, I
find there are many interesting incl
dents that I could recall; little things
that have occurred on the ball field
that are interesting TO me as recount
them and which I know would be of
interest to fans. But there is one
period of my connection with baseball.
which to me seems the most interest
ing, and that period dates back to the
time before entered professional
baseball as means Of livelihood,
when Sat on the Bleachers"
To many this may sound strange,
but when I say 1t I do not forget the
many notable contests that I have par
ticipated in nor do I forget the fact
that the team have always been a5so-
ciated with has been top-notcher, a
four time pennant winner in the Ma
tional league and the winner of two
worlds championships. With all the
success that has come to me in my
baseball career have never lost sight
of the fact that / once was only one
OF the thousands of fans, who have
made baseball the game it is.
Beats Grandstand.
There is a great deal more in view
ing ball game from the bleachers than
from the grandstand or the choicest box
seat of a great stadium. In the boxes
or the grandstand you will usually find
the fans who take in the ball games as
diversion from business or other cares
or those who may be interested in a
certain player or team. But when you
sit on the bleachers you cannot help
touching elbows with the rabid bunch
Of fans, who pick apart every play that
is made, who condemn the home or
visiting players for not doing this or
that who, from baseball instinct can
tell almost what every player Of either
team has done at the bat without the
aid OF a score card, and who invariably
know the batting average Of any
player you chance to mention. If all
the baseball sense OF the bleachers at
any big league game could be centered
in the brains Of a baseball team I think
that club would be the best thinking
aggregation ever put together. In my
opinion, if half the people who have
never had the pleasure of occupying
q scat on the bleachers knew what they
were missing, they would abandon
their grandstand or box seats occa-
sionally and mingle with the bleach
critics. On the bleachers every play
that is made In a game is rep1ayed and
replayed many different ways, not only
as it was executed. but as it should
have been according to the way of
thinking of the bleacherites. And
don't think for a minute that these
bleacherites do not have the right dope
many a time
Lots of Fun.
Since becoming a big league player
/ have sat on the bleachers, although
not a great many times, but I have
been there, and only a few weeks ago,
upon the occasion Of a visit to my
home in Troy, 1 found just as much
pleasure and felt just as much at home
on the bleachers as formerly. Lately
! have also viewed a great many
games from the grandstand, and, after
playing In SO many championship con-
tests. I have learned new lessons from
my experiences as a spectator both in
the grandstand and bleachers. From
these points Of vantage the games look