Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-07-14

PHILADELPHIA, July 14.-At the
Atlanta (Ga-) Country Club there is
what golfers term a sporty course.
Natural hazards are many and even the
best wielders of driver, brassy and iron
are likely to find themselves in serious
predicaments before they finish the
eighteen holes.
The real test for the ordinary golfer,
though, is what Is known as mental
hazard" Driving from the second tee.
the ball must clear lake, which is pos
sibiy seventy-five yards wide-possibly
100. That is not q long drive for golfer
of even ordinary ability. And the course
is straightaway after the ball has clear
ed the lake.
One day . base ball player. who. is a
very good golfer, attempted to drive a
bali over the lake. He seldom makes
drive under 200 yards. Yet he put five
balls into the lake. Every time ne swung
his club his mind was on that water. He
purposely teed the ball high and tried to
loft II. being satisfied to cross the lake.
although IT would be short drive. And
still he saw the ball drop into the water.
That man. who is one OF the greatest
ball players In the game did not quit.
He did not lose confidence After every
failure. he tried to discover his fault and
correct IT. But, as has been said. I'VE
times his ball dropped into the lake His
sixth drive was one of the worst he ever
made, and barely cleared the water. But
he was satisfied and played il once he
fell on dry land.
That was a mental hazard" 1t took
tho diamond star a long time TO forget
the lake when he drove from the second
tee at Atlanta But he finally mastered
his mind Now ne can drive the ball so
far over that he doesn't know that the
water Is there. It's just the same as the
straightaway turf leading from the third
tea He overcame the mental hazard
Many reasons have been advanced for
the recent slump OF the Phillies. during
which they lost thirteen OF seventeen
games played. four straight to Brooklyn.
New York and Pittsburgh. Some critics
blame II on Indifference. others on slow
base running and poor throwing-oh,
there have been so many alibis given. all
of which are more or less correct, that
AZ Is not necessary TO repeat them.
The real reason however. for the heart
breaking slump of the Quakers is that
they were victims of mental hazard"
Go to Wilmington, get the Tri-State
team Of that city and put them on the
field brimYul OF confidence I'd bet few
cents that Brooklyn and Pittsburgh
couldn't beat Jimmy Jacksons Peaches
four straight New York might. but that
isn't sure Unless. Of course. the mental
hazard" was before the Tri-Staters.
5 The first wallop which took the heart
out of the Quakers was the fourteen in
ming defeat at the hands of Brooklyn.
That game should have been won, be-
cause Lobert was robbed of a triple and
was lost because Luderus erred grievous-
~ In the last period
After losing four to the Superbas, the
Quakers started to show New York that
the slump was only temporary. The first
game Of the series went ten innings and
the Giants only won lilo. because a
dropped ny by Magee and several errors
handed them runs. The New Workers
took the next three easily.
Boston came then, and there was tenn
porary relief But the same mental haZ-
ard appeared in the Pittsburgh series.
The first game was lost because a fly ball
dropped safe back Of third base with two
out in the ninth inning. The ball should
have been caught.
II will be seen that the first game of
the three important series was lost by a
break OF the game The Phillies play
ed poorly. ii Is true. on at least two occa-
luck must have caused them 10 wonder
whether they were really getting their
share Of the luck that is In the game.
Those Of US who know Manager Doom
and his men personally cannot believe
that they quit. One or two men might
have lost that winning spirit. But with
the majority. II was a mental hazard"
They were laboring under the same diff
culties as the ball player who couldn't
make the easy drive over the lake at At
lanta. Why? He can't tell you to this
day.
What is in store for the Quakers is
probiemstical. Doom has at least shown