New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-03-21
BY JOHNNY EVEHS.
Captain of the Boston Braves.

the ravages Of time, this: us cIuo
owner repaid for the great expense OF
sending his players South every spring
TO prepare them physically Tor inc
championship campaign" Il has been
asked as long as | can remember an"
probably will continue TO be asked As
long as baseball is played. But pc
cause the public generally has mann
tested such an interest in it, ana pc
cause. with the clubs in the Southland
NJ this time. il is timely, have deciid-
cd 10 devote this article OF my serieS
20 "the value Of spring training 10 the
ciub owner as we'll as 20 the player.
!, may appear that when 3 ciuo
owner plnnts many thousand doiiar
seeds in the South during the, spring
10 condition his players he mas no
chance Of realizing anything on thht
money: that il is an expenditure thaV
might more profitably be made IN some
other direction. Il is cutie true th"'
few club owners realize anything IN
monetary way during the spring tran
ING iunket: in fact, il is comparatively
seldom that an even break IN finances
is scored during this period.
But let US suppose that OF the elGat
club owners IN the National League
ono should not send his club South loI
spring training that nc IeIt inc ma.
ter Of getting into condition ehtiieIE
in the hGrds Of the players themselves
at their respective homes III N VIM !
event supervision of their work "oulo
no utterly impossible. Would II be pos
sihle for mis- club 10 enter the cam
paign physically perfected to compete
AGAINST the seven other clubs. whose
nfavers had had the advantage OF
srrinc training in the South? Certain
ly not.
Handicap to Team.
Sucb being the case. his club,
naturally. would get away TO poor
start II would be weeks before tne
nIsvers Jumped into their real stride.
In The interim the team would be lelV
so far behind that there would scarce
iv 10 anv chance of its catching up IN
tbe race As result, the owner SUI
fers ir the way Of attendance ana ea'e
receints Therefore, is not spring
+ro;r;no Of monetary value 10 the cruz
gunner in the same proportion thaI II
;s of phvsical benefit to the player
There is still another angle. suppose
40 of the major league CLUBS sent
Go,,tb 70 train. None would be IN tire
same fettle they all are now 10 oeglh
the season. Thus. the publlcLthe Ian'
who "pay the freight would NOV re
ceive the best for their money ourLHs
the early weeks OF the championship
season. ..I an, mt
.rying 10 belittle the chances tnat NV
. III e,.oor taLos in making this spring
,;r,e outlay. 1t is a big gamble, me
weather in the South may be bad, ana
,Ia,.ors may return North little
bnrefted bv their sojourn at the camp
Tbon the club owner suffers more man
ciailv than If he had not sent MS play
ors South at all In this spring train
80 bueinoss the club owners are very
fair TO the players. They not only pay
III ,bn ,,Iayers' EXPENSES az training
hoadouarters. but they also pay inc
80 81 the players from their homes
20 The pojnt designated as the starting
,Jaca Of the spring junket. =.
For instance, if a player lives IN
Troy las | do, and the starting POM
81 one section OF the Braves IS New
York. as il was this year, inc PIaEei
fare from Troy 10 New YORK ivy -
maid. as we'll "a his expenses from NeW
York City 10 Macon and Tor the resi- OF
A the time until the club reports lot ~ ,'s
III first series of games at Boston: nv
v only time a player has 70 pay ms o"n
exnenses from the beginning Of spring
train;no until the championship season
ends is when his club is playing IN It's
own city. Whenever the club is on the
road the players expense. railroad
fare and hotel bills-are paid by the
club owner.
7 have heard it said that the cost OF
soring training to each club owner av'
erages about $500 head. ana when
there are thirty, and sometimes forty
nlavers taken South one can gain some
idea of what this means financially tc
The big LEAGUE club owner.
As matter of fact. think that eli
matte conditions have little 20 do witt
PLAYERS getting into condition. Dur
ing my time have trained at my nome
in Troy, in California, IN IeNas' il
Florida and in Georgia, and ! ieeI sure
that can get into practically as gooo
physical condition by staying In Troy
as | can by going South. 1T depends
entirely upon the player himself and
his desire and willingness TO work hard
to fit himself for the long season
play. &c..
Conscientious players can condition
themselves almost anywhere, and the
veterans like Mathewson. Wagner
Cobb and the rest need no instructions
and watching over They know better
than any one else just how much work
they require 10 get into shape, and
they do il. They appreciate the fact
that upon their condition depends their
ability 10 earn money in baseball.
They know that il they do not get into
condition and do not stay IN condi
II -
the big tent. II they were not conscl-
entious PLAYERS they would never have
remained in the major leagues so long
as they have and still be able TO hold
their own-yes, and more than their
own-aganSt the youngsters who an
nually strive for places on the big
clubs.
PLAYERS Who Break Rules.
But have known players who think
il is clever to break the rules OF tram
inc. They imagine that they are slip
ming something over on the manager
but i'm reality they are doing them
selves a great deal more injury than
they are the manager or the CLUB own
o. Bv breaking training they cannot
do themselves justice on the ball held.
If they can't make good on the ball
field the passage wa is clear for their
-e:urn trip 10 the minors.
The best players-the ones who
arade the ball parks year after year.
.eping astride of the game-are the
mes who stay in good condition the
year around They are the ones VINO
90 not require great deal OF WORK m
the spring. and who can AFFORD 10 STAND
back and let the recruits have the early
fins during the first week or so Of
spring training. They bring themsel yes
around By slow and easy processes. but