The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1913-12-06
Tiger President Has No Fear
That Dean of Outfield Will
BE Stale Next Spring
STALENESS is LARGELY
A MENTAL CONDITION
Sameness of Actions and Cir
eumstances Brings it-Craw-
ford Has Constant Change
BY RALPH L.. YONKER.

Sam Crawford. dean Of the Tiger
outfielders, will not be stale when the
time for the opening Of the American
league schedule comes In the middle
part Of April next year. In the opin-
Ion OF Frank Navin. president Of the
Tigers.
There has been much written and
much said about the prospects or
players with the world touring White
Sox and Giants. with whom Crawford
and his wife are travelling. being over
worked and stale by the time the reg
ular season begins after their con-
slant playing all winter.
Il has been a somewhat general
opinion that the pitchers In particu-
lar will be tired out by the time they
reach America again after their Ions
and arduous journey.
But Navin has no fear that Craw-
ford Will not be- In shape. Sam took
the trip with Franks consent.
"Staleness in an athlete Is as much
mental as a physical condition" rea-
sons Navin, that Is brought about by
constant doing of the same thing over
and over again In the same way In
the same scenes and circumstances.
certain cities at certain times OF the
day under certain conditions which
vary but little, will produce staleness.
workers In every station OF life.
whether they be baseball players or
|day laborers or corporation presidents
grow stale n they don't have changes
land vacations Everybody goes stale
on his Job II he isn't given q chance
for q rest and recreation.
III big league players attempted to
|play eight or 10 mouths In the year
instead OF six In regular games, they
would all be as bad as the worst bush
|ers by the end OF the season, espe-
|cially II the pennant was won before
1.-The close of the year.
"But there Is no chance for player
Ito 20 stale on this world trip that
|c1n see He Is having constant
|change Of scenery. all OF which is ex-
kremely interesting to him and which
keeps his mind OF baseball the great
her part OF the time. Undoubtedly TO
1.-THE players the games are Of minor
in comparison with the
visits to the strange lands
When Crawford returns home In the
spring he will be allowed practically
|every liberty he wishes In the matter
|of getting ready for the coming sea-
son. II he cares to- be. he may be ex-
|cused from training at Gulfport alto
|gether, taking practically complete
vacation while the other members or
the team are getting into shape.
This matter Of spring training Tor
era wford Is always more or less OF
habit anyway. Probably no man IN
baseball takes better care OF himself
bn every way than Sam. Not only has
he no bad habits. but he is very care
HUI Of his body while playing on the
held. He takes no dangerous chances
when there 10 nothing but individual
|glory at stake. There Is little likeli-
hood that he will be injured during
the trip around the world, for he
realizes that even the possibility OF
hn injury isn't worth the price OF
btolen base or an extra sack on long
hit.
Crawford will probably be asked to
be at Gulfport in time to start the
"trip north at least, for he Is one OF
The big Tiger drawing cards In exhibit
hon games, and Manager jennings
will want him to assume his regular
blsce in the batting order SO that he |
Ind Cobb and Bush can get their
coordination a-working properly be-
Fore the season starts.