The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-05-03
SPORTING NEWS
KNOCKERS AND THEIR VICIOUS
CRITICISM HURT BALL PLAYERS
Others are Ruined by Too Much Good Fellowstip-Tris
Speaker Was Turned Down by Coniskey-Scouts
Pay no Attention to Rough Stuff"
poak Roberts of the Houston club

Doak Roberts of the Houston club
OF the Texas league says the two great
elements that contribute to the down.
fall of players are knockers and good
fellows-those whose vicious criti-
cism kills a players spirit and those
who in their enthusiasm lead him out
Of the straight and narrow path:
Baseball is a peculiar profession"
said Roberts, in a recent interview
in the Houston Chronicle. lit differs
from any other in the world. Its
men are actually employed in its pur-
suit for but two or three hours at
most in the afternoon. They have
nine hours of every day and the faith
omless night in which no actual call
is made on their services.
I'm consequence. they are subject
fession has to face. All the idle day
time when they are really at a loss
as to what to do, they are unem-
ployed. And it is then that the good
fellow makes his appearance.
This person has ruined many ball
players-his wiles are the only living
argument against the game. Yet he
ruin the members of any other pro-
fession in the world II they had the
same amoun of idle time in which to
be approached.
Good Fellows Bad. .
We know that the good fellows
Of a given town who seek to fill a
visiting club with drinks, i~ncapacitat-
ing them for active service. are bad
enough. And the practice in this
league has been an extended one. But
bad as he is. that sort of good fell
low' is not as destructive in influence
as the well-wisher. whose love Of re-
Elected glory makes him the guiding
influence in the downfall Of a star.
Some Of these players who fall by
the wayside get hack on their feet. !
sent a brilliant young catcher to the
Dig leagues a few years ago who was
a free liver. He fell from the big
show. but he had a heart-to-heart talk
with himself and reformed his man.
ner Of living and has since. made
good.
There is the opposite influence that
is constantly used to hurt the young
ball player. the knocker in bleachers
or grand stand. 1 will wager that
the unfeeling cry of take him out!
has hurt more promising players than
any other than the effects of
bad habits.
II have studied the grand stand and
bleacher fan in Texas for eleven years,
And I have come to the conclusion
that the man who is the. consistent
knocker at a ball game is never a
man VINO has made any pronounced
success in life. 1t is the business fail
ure or standstill who develops into
These men do not hurt the PLAYER
by rapping his ability to scouts who
may wish to purchase him. They force
him to lose his confidence in himself
n that a ball player must have to
make good. Let a squad of fans be-
hind him begin to yell. 'bonehead!'
and take him out!' and a few other
pet phrases of the kind. and they sour
a youngsters disposition and ruin
A Knocking Umps.
"Diverting from the fan who
knocks a player in the game, I want
70 tell you a story of a force that en-
deavored to act against the rise of
Speaker force that did not succeed.
U which did cost me 500 in pur-
umpire.
When Speaker was going at his
pest in his last year in this league. I