The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-08-30
B Rube Maruuard.N

received a letter the other day
from a bunch of youngsters-half a
dozen of EN- signed it--asking me
now l. put In my time during the
baseball season when am not ac-
iuallN .pitching-that is. they want TO
know how l train; what l cat; when
sleep. n so on. They evidently
nave an d that my method of liv-
ing has some bearing upon my pitch.
ing-and ] presume it has. in a way.
am only too glad to answer them,
although don't imagine that my
aallS existence varies greatly from
That of any other ball player-pitcher
or otherwise. You will find that they
ail live by rule and rote during the
PLAYING season-early hours, careful
eating. and the simple life generally.
First and foremost I want to say
mat dissipation is rapidly becoming
almost among ball players,
especially during the season. Person.
ally, ! never drink at all. and | know
10 excess. know of no member of
me Giants who does that; they are
the %leanest living crowd of Young
fellow ever banded together.
The idea that a man cannot dis
sipate and continue in the big league
IS pretty firmly planted in the minds
or all who enter fast company now
~ 1ioId6Ci IO IOUSe wants
that kind of PLAYERS. He figures life
is too short to bother with them.
Must Fight OF Desire.
Surprising for instance. during my
early struggles to get a foothold in
the league. ! had been a drinking
man, In addition to being a disap-
polntment as a pitcher? Do YOU sup
pose McGraw would have been iusti-
led In maintaining faith in me? 1
don't think so. Still, l don't take so
much credit for not drinking. because
i SIMPLY never had any desire to do
1t, and l don't believe that a fellow
who doesn't want to drink ANYWAY is
entitled to a great deal of credit: it's
the fellow who had the strong desire.
and fights it off.
l use tobacco to a greater or less
extent-both smoking and chewing
put I! wouldn't advise any youngster
10 FOLLOW my example, because he can
lust as we'll do without it. Certainly
u doesn't help him. While most ball
PAYERS do smoke or chew. YOU can Law
II down as a general proposition that
lhere is less drinking among them
than n other single class of youne
fellows.
During the baseball season 1 have
no set course of training. because my
ordinary work keeps me in form.
Try TO maintain a system of exercise
IN winter. and. of course. 1 go through
the usual form of hard training in the
spring, but during the summer few,
II any ball players have to dc more
than the daily games to keen in con
dition.
Takes Walk Before Breakfast.
l get up about $50 o'clock every
morning. and take a walk before
breakfast. ] walk fifteen or twenty
minutes at an ordinary gait. and then
return to my hotel. For breakfast I
eat plenty of fruit, eggs and toast. l
nave made 1t a rule never to eat meat
during the hot weather. although
am not so particular in the winter.
Another thing--I never drink coffee
at any time. not even for breakfast
MY morning drink is q popular one
lced tea. | report at the Polo ground,
at 10 o'clock. This is McGraw's iron
clad rule. and it must be followed bv
all players. I don't have to do any
morning practice. as a rule. and I
only stay at the park a few minutes
In the morning; but I have to be
there. NC
McGraw has no favorites on the
club, and no player-veteran or re-
crult-is permitted to break the rules.
me manager of the Giants sees abso-
lutelN no difference in his men. so far
as discipline is concerned. He treats
them all alike. and the oldest man on
the team will be reprimanded if he
mas 1t coming as quickly as a new
comer.
No Time for Lunch,
sometimes loaf around the club
mouse for an hour or SO, and Their 7