Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-04-03
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SsEP0RT

MANY a good story q baseball and
hall players originates at the rain
ing camps of the big league teams. and
camps Of the big league teams. ana
pondcnts sitting round ready TO POunCr
on anything that VIII make rcadabl"
copy for the hungry fans ~ home.
these yarn & t vide circulation.
Here's one printed in a ST Louis
paper. credited to Joe Sugdcn. who
is coaching the young pitchers OF the
Browns this season.
The subject of Joos story vas
players Getting Batting PIac'iH" at
Night Time.
"t happened d few seasons ago.
said Joe. when was At SPartans-
burg. S. C., which at that time wa in
the Carolina Association. We'll. II got
TO be about Q o'clock in the evening.
Spartansburg happened to be one OF
these towns where there was nothing
to do after that hour.
Il was sitting around the hotel lobby
and some Of the ball players happened
to be stopping there. All Of a sudden
about half a dozen Of them mad a
mad dash into the hotel. and few
minutes later made their exit, each
one carrying his favUriie bat
You can imagine my surprise. !
did not know what was going to hap
pen. They might have been on their
way to murder some one, or knock
the life out Of a snake or something
else.
After sitting around thinking for
while ! went outside to find out what
was happening, and the sight in from
of my-eyes almost knocked me stiff.
There were the athletes each with his
club, swinging at an object.
after a while ! saw that the inno-
cent object OF the assault was nothing
but a night bird, more generally known
as a bat. The players were chasing
the bird back and forth. and every one
Of them taking healthy wallop every
time he got chance. ] stuck around
to watch the fun. When the players
finally were exhausted ! asked them
what the object of the occasion was
You can imagine my surprise when
one Of them said to me: oh, that's
how we get our batting practice down
in this league
"And you can take it from me they
were getting some batting practice.
They swung these bats until they were
clean exhausted. They could hardly
lift their arms when they got through.
There were lot of big arc lights in
front OF the hotel. and this helped
them locate the bat when it flew back
and forth. g..
10
a while, as the bat would fly out of
sight. Then no sooner than they had
set their bats on the ground and we're
wiping the perspiration OF their
brows, the bat would reappear Then
they would start in again, ] forgot
to notice whether the bat got away or
not, SIS 20,
ct was the first time ever saw
anything like it, and the last time"
After Sugden had finished telling
this one, all the players were willing
to concede him first prize as story
teller.
s., 'Chief Meyers is a great mechanical
catcher" says Buck HerZog, "and a
crashing batter, but | tremble when
thing of what might happen to him Or
his team if McGraw didn't exercise
unfailing vigilance 1t may seem be-
yond belief, but whenever a new,
white ball 1is thrown into play, the
chief. unless McGraw' spots him in
stantly, will always signal for a slow
curve-the one delivery that would be
instantly slaughtered by even the
weakest batsrnan! The Giants would
not go far without McGraw, believe
me.
It would be a revelation if the writ
ers could sit beside him on the bench
and hear him moan with his head in
his hands: Who wished this boneyard
nm N Inn9'o