Evening star., 1917-03-04
BY BILLY EVANS.

What is good for Cobb certainly
lot of recruit outf1elders follow. What
Is helpful to Alexander ought to i'm
prove my work, is the line of reasoning
many ambitious pitchers pursue. The
recruit outfielder regards Cobb and
Speaker as pretty good models. The
bush league pitcher. has wholesome
respect for the prowess of Alexander
and johnson.
1t Is only natural. then. that the new
men should watch closely the style of
play and the mode Of life big stars fol-
low. 1t Is only natural many bush
leaguers should pattern after celebri-
ties of the diamond. In many cases the
manager advises such action. In fact.
he has the star pitcher, batter. catcher
or infielder demonstrate the effective
ness of his methods to the new men.
This often leads up to amusing IN
cidents when veterans happen to strike
a recruit SO green that he Will fall Tor
most anything l will relate a few such
incidents of the last four or five years.
Here's Oyster Story.
There is in the American League one
of the games greatest hitters. who is
fond of oysters in any style. When in
Philadelphia or Washington he always
gives the oyster diet an awful battle,
for he believes he always gets the best
oysters in those cities. One training
trip few years ago several veterans
were discussing good things to eat. The
star expressed a wish that he might be
at a certain restaurant in Philadelphia
with layout of oysters in every style.
Several recruits heard the conversation.
The star noticed this, and added that,
SO far as he knew. there was nothing
quite so good as oysters for the batting
eye. There is nothing sweeter to the
player than the ring of the base hit.
One recruit drank in the stars opinion
of an oyster diet for the batting eye.
That evening he started to eat oysters.
although he alterward admitted he
liked them none too well, and those he
good tasting. There was an improve
ment in his batting at once. and he
gave credit to the oyster. He contin-
ued to play oysters across the board in
every style, until one day he was taken
i'll, and the doctor summoned. There
was something wrong with his stomach.
poisoning of some kind. probably due to
some poor oysters. light diet was
He insisted on some oysters. one of the
things the doctor forbade. 1t was then
the reason for his wholesale consump-
tion Of oysters became known. The re-
player, and is still fond of oysters al
though he isn't sure they increase one S
batting average.
Tale of the Movies.
There is a big league star who shuns
moving pictures because of fool advice
given him years ago, during the train
ing trip in the south. The club was
doing it's preliminary work in small
town. where it is go to the MOVIES or
who now shuns the moving pictures,
then n recruit, suggested to star OF
the team that they go to the picture
show to kill an hour or so. expressing
much surprise the veteran remarked:
You don't mean to tell me you play
the movies? That Is the biggest mis-
take in the world for ball player
That drives more players out of the
business every year than overeating
ONLY last spring it killed the chances
Of a promising recruit. When the
youngster reported he hit any old klnd
of pitching and hit 1t hard. Before the
season was a month old he was lucky
to make foul That fellow got the
movie fever, and when he wasn't on the
bail field he was following the films.
IT put him on the blink. Not for me.
T want to stick a while longer"
The recruits eyes fairly popped out
He had never figured where watching
the movies had any connecf1on with
his work on the ball field, but 1t was
evident now. 1t explained how he had
slumped into last season. or he would
have batted $50 He dropped the idea
by insisting he had several letters to
write After the youngster had gone
the veteran stepped out and made a
bee line for the picture theater, where
he put in an hour. The advice was
spread rapidly to other recruits. and
inside of twenty-four hours all the new
men had decided there would be no
more of the movies for them. at least
until they could get firmly established.
The fairy tale of the veteran had car
ried weight.
Elevator Bill Yarns Good.
Tho Cleveland club several years ago
had a bush league ntcher who was
about the limit for greennesa. It would