Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-08-06
Worlds Greatest Sopaw Tells How How He Lives
SMOKES LITTLE, DOESN'T DRINK AT ALL
BY "Rube" Marnuard.

day from bunch OF youngsters
half a dozen of 'em signed it
asking me how / put in my time
during the baseball season when
am not actually pitching-that is,
they want to know how l train;
what / eat; when sleep and so on.
They evidently have an idea that
my method Of living has some bear
ing on my pitching-and l presume
it has, in a way
am only too glad to answer
them, although l don't imagine
that my daily existence varies
greatly from that of any other ball
player, pitcher or otherwise. You
will find that they all live by rule
during the playing season-earIy
hours. careful eating, and the sim
pie life generally.
First and foremost | want to say
that dissipation Is rapidly becoming
almost unknown among ball play
ers, especially during the season.
Personally. | never drink at all,
and | know but very few players
who ever drink to excess. | know
Of no member of the Giants who
does that; they are the cleanest
living crowd of young fellows ever
banded together.
The idea that a man can not dis
sipate and continue in the big league
is pretty firmly planted in the minds
of all who enter fast company
nowadays. A manager no longer
wants that kind of players. He fig
ures life is too short to bother
with them.
Leave OF Tobacco, Too.
I use tobacco to greater or less
extent---both smoking and chewing
but wouldn't advise any young
ster to follow my example, because
he can just as we'll do without 1t.
Certainly 1t doesn't help him.
While most ball players do smoke
or chew, you can lay it down as a
general proposition that there is
less drinking among them than
any other single class of young fell
lows
During the baseball season
have no set course Of training. be-
cause my ordinary work keeps me
in form I try to maintain q sys-
tenn of exercise in winter, and. OF
course, I go through the usual form
of hard training in the spring.
Takes Walk Before Breakfast.
| get up about $50 o'clock every
morning, and take walk before
breakfast. I walk fifteen or twenty
minutes. at an ordinary gait. and
then return to my hotel For break
fast l eat plenty of fruit. eggs and
toast. I have made it a rule never
to eat meat during the hot weather
Another thing never drink Cof-
fee at any time. not even for break
fast. My morning drink is a pecu-
liar one-iced tea. | report at the
Polo Grounds at 10 o'clock. This is
McGraw's iron-clad rule and it
must be followed by all the play
erS.
Has No Time For Lunch.
Sometimes l loaf around the club
house for an hour or so. and then /
go right back to the hotel l sit
around half an hour or so resting,
but eat no Iunch--and haven't for
"a long time. That is the general
rule among all ball players. | guess
Some may have a bowl of soup and
crackers at noon, but for the most
part they eat nothing between
breakfast and supper
have to be back at the park by
O'clock and dressed and on the
field at 80, Then, unless l am to
work | spend the time just as the
fans see me every day-batting the
bail around In fact, even when l
know am to work l timber up
gently 10y tossing the ball and hit
ting fungoes.
After the game have my show
er or plunge. and then again re-
turn to- the hote'-this time for my
evening meal first sit .ound for
&o minutes TO give my stomach a
pest. and then | eat Whatever l feel
like having executing meat.
] ann i'm bed between 1890 ana