The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-06-14

the spell is in reality no real ball
There being no game Tuesday on
account of the rain, Bill Roarke. own
er of the Omaha team, Tom . Hara'
Cub scout. and Harry Davis veteran
athletic player and now ivory nuhtel
for Connie Mack, gathered in the OF
flee of John Savage, and this very SUD-
iect of superstition came up.
Some one mentioned the name OF
sstaliings. the Miracle Man of the Bos-
ron Braves. and one of the scouts re-
marked that Stallings is the most su-
nerstitious man in baseball ms
started the conversation on new line
and every one present told various
snecimens he had observed in ms
dealings with the nauonal pas
staIling's Stunts.
StalIings it is said, is so superSti
tious that he does not believe ms team
can win unless he is seated IN d cei
tain place on the players bench with
one leg crossed over the other and the
frcs leg kept in motion all the while
the game is going on. Also, 1t IS salo
tha- a piece of paper thrown out IN
trent of his players bench IS con-
sidered a bad luck jonah by Stalllnss'
Ind often he keeps the bench warmers
busy picking up scraps rs, ina a.
thrown or blown around his dugout,
RiI Armour, former manager OF the
Kansas City Blues, is said to nave
been a close second TO Stalhngs IN the
matter of superstition. 1t was tolu on
Armour that one day ms team won d
game. That night Bill figured out
just what he had done during the Jay
what time he had gotten up nov
MANY cigars he had smoked, Wnat
time he took street car-and Inc
n went
the game routine in hopes that 1t
would bring him another victory
Stars Have 1t, Too.
# is said that Ty Cobb, iris Speaker,
Hans Wagner and many OF the otneI
bie- league stars are slaves to the sign
rt1ff" and that this is responsible FOR
them swinging a bunch OF bats over
their heads before they pick out one
and step up to the plate
Harry Davis. who was one 9l Lne
heavy clouters of the American league
in his day, said Tuesday afternoon
that the superstition habit never e1-
actly got him. but he told OF narrow
escape he had when in his prime
Davis's story is repeated as II Is re-
membered:
cit was when we were playing at the
old park An elderly man who was
crippled lived out near me- ana ne
liked to get out to see game When-
ever he could 1 became friendly with
to the park with me to see the game.
He consented and we started out
THE old gent liked his toddy pretty
well, and on the way out he suggested
knock one which was his way of say
ing take a drink I told him I would
go in with him, but that 1 didn't want
anything.
Takes HighbaIl.
"'Oh, YES, take a little highbalI.' the
old man said. t will make you get
two Dagger today Well, to please
him. took a highban with just a
little dash of whisky in it, and sure
enough I got a tipping two-bagger.
The next day the old man went out
with me again and insisted that an
other highball would make me get an
other double. Well. 1 took another
and sure enough got another double.
And the next day we did the same
thing. Then. on the next day when we
came to drink the two-bagger pro-
Queer the old man insisted that if I
would take two / would get two two
base hits. didn't want to but finally
consented and darned if 1 didn't get
them just like he said.
This continued for about a week
and 1 was hitting far above my av-
erage that every player on the club
wanted to know what 1 was doing.
Finally the only man insisted that if !
would take three hlgnballs 1 would
II
that we went on the road pretty soon
I really believe 1 would have made a
drunkard out of myself trying to set q
new two-base hit record.
Didn't Help Any.
However, when we went on the
road, didn't have the old man to re-
mind me of it and one day forgot the
highballs. But I remember 1 got one
of the longest doubles 1 ever got in
my life. and that night I thought
about the matter whole lot and de
cided that the highballs had had moth.
ing to do with my hitting. I quit then
right off and never knew any differ.
ence."
Perhaps one of the most strikins
examples of superstition in baseball a:
it, affects owners of teams is supplied
by Ebbets, of the Brooklyn Nationals
One day when his team entered upor
a winning streak, Ebbets forsook hi.
office in the clubhouse and went gu
to the stand to see his men perform
He brought with him a high stool
which he placed in back of a row O
seats, and, in company with Vice Pres
ident McKeever. remained in that spo
for the remainder of the afternoon
1t was his good fortune to see his team
win.
EbbetS Mascot
-Ebbets waxed enthusiastic over tn
success of his team that afternoon
but thought nothing of the stool unit
Il friend came in to congratulate hin