Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-09-18
HARRY DAVIS CHATS
ABOUT BASEBALL OF
PAST AND PRESENT
lewiston Journal !


Harry Davis, the famous big Lacquer
and captain Of Connie Mack's A,h-
letics, who has been visiting Ben
Houser al Skowhegan, was in Lewis
ton Monday with Houser on the way
70 the latter's farm in Litchfield 10
spend a few days Davis had had q
fine time in Maine and while at Show
hogan took part in few games. He
has also been watching the work Of
the various Maine teams and as a re-.
suit of his trip here a number of
Maine boys may possibly get chance
TO show what they can DO in faster
company
Davis announced that Buck" DAN
ner. the Rumford Falls shortstop for
this year. had been signed and will
report at Philadelphia within a few
days. Danner has been playing great
hall this summer and made a good i'm
preston with Davis.
He recalled old New England League
games when he was with the Paw
tuckets in '93 or "a and when Lewis
ton still carried Abe Lezotte and Jim
Mccormack upon the payrolls. Before
the advent Of Lajoie he went into the
bigger leagues where his reputation
as a ball player has been nation wide.
The older / get" said MIR. Davis,
the more l feel that the temperament
is the thing. There are a great many
men who have the mechanical ability
to play good base ball. Some of them
have the temperament. They make the
stars. Some have II not they go down
and out. Every great ball player Ty
Cobb, Speaker. Mat,hewson. Eddie
Plank, Eddie Collins. has the true
baseball temperament. Il is varied as
70 the man but the underlying ele
ment Of il is the thought, will do my
best 10 win no matter what happens,
How often" continued Mr.. Davis,
you have seen the pitcher. for in
stance, who has the mechanical abil-
iIy 10 pitch He has the physique and
the pitching art. yet he fails because
he doesn't look al the game from the
right angle as game. He is pitching,
we will say, and the umpire calls one
or TWO wTong-gives a hall for what
he thinks was a strike. What does he
DO? He begins 20 think over il. says
TO himself This umpire has il in for
me. ! can't get what belongs TO me.
To the dogs with the game He can't
see that these TWO wrong decisions on
balls and strikes need NOT win the
game. That's a had fault, in any ball
player. | rather have the cheerful. ev-
eryday conscientious worker who can't
see anything ahead but winning and
who takes hard luck philosophically
than the other kind Of a player even
though the latter is twice the better
ball PLAYER. Connie Mack will split up
ball team TO get rid Of a PLAYER who
is all The time counselins ugliness and
sour thoughts. He has done il and
will do il any day.
There is in the New England
league today one OF the most wonder
full ball players / have seen. He is
faster than most Of them in the big
! league. He can hit the ball hard. He
can throw ball across the diamond
with such ease. precision and speed as
. 70 be marvellous and the ball sails as
lightly as a bird But don't like his
attitude 70 the game. l watched him
closely He seemed TO he fighting fate.
He acted indifferent and somewhat
bored He never would do--if have
him sized up right. But he'd be a
wonder if he happened 10 turn out
right"
Base ball has won a better position
than ! ever thought il would. Such
men as Mathewson and the others
have named have done everything TO
dignity the sport. Patience. good
faith. clean Living. LOYALTY and seri-
Gus appreciation Of the higness of the
job have marked their careers. It's a
short life and strenuous. hut il calls
for more than You can guess. unless
YOU have lived it. A man must first
control himself. He must have single
ness Of purpose. He must he an OPP
timist. And he must have what
We call pep. With these you
can win often against players who are
individually more skilful but who lack
the true baseball temperament, which
united and coherent makes up team
work.