Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1915-03-05
.J'OSHING
MAKE OR BREAK
ABALL PLAYER
Club House Leaders and What
They Do to the New
Recruits
By CHRIsTY MATHEWsoN.


Clubhouse repartee has made a few
and broken many players-and man
ayers, too, for that matter. But the
wise manager keeps out of it and
tries to prevent 1t all he can. If a
player, and especially a youngster,
lacks the art Of coming back, the
rough riding repartee of the club
house, which exists In every one to
some extent, may discourage him so
that he fails to make good for this
and no other reason. Some managers
will tell you that such a player lacks
the heart to deliver anyway, and 1t is
done to test him, but 1 don't agree
with this opinion.
There was one young fellow who
came into the league with, bright pros.
poets and who never lost his nerve In
pinch, but who quit the league for
no other reason than that he was SEN
sitiVe about being kidded and the
players were on him all the time. 1
am well aware of the effects in this
case, because the youngster I have in
mind was a member of the Giants, but
/ do not care to give his name. No
prize is offered for the correct answer.
Couldn't Stand Joshiag.. i. ...
However, this young chap came
from very coed family with consid-
cradle money, and he determined to
play big league baseball because he
liked 1t. He made good from the start,
but the players hung a nickname on
him at once which was dfstasteful, al
though he pretended not to mind 1t.
Nieknames have hurt many folks be-
sides ball players, even though most
big leaguers are not sensitive about
them, as the character of some Of
those given to stars will prove. Be-
sides the nickname, the players In
the clubhouse were always on the
young fellow, and he did not have the
ability to return the remarks in kind.
He tried hard not to notice this rough
ra1liery, but 1t was not long before It
began to get under HIS hide.
You'll spoil q good, bah player ~
told two or three of the men on the
Club who were inclined to kid him the
strongest. HE is sensitive about that
stun. Why don't you lay on him.
1t will do him good and put spurk
into him" answered these shellbacks,
the old reply.
Even McGrad got after the kidders
and tried to stop them, but they would
pass something to the victim when
/ Mac was not In hearing, probably be-.
ing shut up In his private room in the
New York clubhouse One day the
young fellow quit the club without
warning He came back again, to be
sure, but now he was quit for good.
He never gave the kidding as his rea-
son for leaving, but + know that he
felt he did not need to stand for IL
and he knew that he was not able to
come back strong. 1t is no secret that
his loss was a serious blow to the
Giants He had the ability to become
one Of the big stars of the game. We
would not have missed one, or even
two, Of the kidders nearly so much.
His staying with the team might have
won US the pennant last year.
Collins Can't BE JoIIied.
When Eddie" Collins was a mem
Der, of the Athletics he was a recog-
1nized leader because he seldom or
practically never picked 1Dn another
member of the team, but IL any one
went after him he was able to take
care of himself. It was like trying to
damage a dreadnought with rife bull
let to attack Eddie with talk. There
fore, he was looked up to as a leader
by the players. He wifi probably oc-
cupy similar position with the White
Sox, since a man of his type generally
go a-hunting they seek big game.
On the Giants Mike Donlin has been
a natural leader for the last season.
since he can take care of himself In
clubhouse circles or any other that |
ever saw. Before Wilbert Robinson
was made the manager of the Brook
Ign club he occupied this position on
the Giants and any man who thought
to pick on Robbie soon found that he
had bitten OF more than he could
chew. Robinson was always good ma
tured about it, but he was there with
the comeback in emergencies. And
he never started the kidding of any
one. He was the friend of the young
sters. .. ~,
On the Boston team Eyers is the
leader in clubhouse politics. Cobb IS
capable with Detroit, and so on. A
lot of the players on the Giants like
to try to ride me occasionally, but 4
don't mind it and ! fatter myself that
am fair master of the ultimate su.
perlative. They like to kid me about
my. age.
'-E@&a Il