The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-06-08
BIC SALARIES A
DREAM SISLER
Tales of Big Money a False
Lure and Don't Last, Says
Star First Baseman.

From the inside" comes straight
from the-shoulder advice to boys
about professional baseball, and it
doesn't sound very alluring. George
Sisler, speaking; Sisler of the ST.
Louis Browns, the man who is racing
so hotly with Ty Cobb in batting, the
man who has played every position
and therefore is one of Americas
most versatile players, the only man
who stepped straight from a college
diamond into a big league and made
good from the go-off.
And this is what he says, in an
article on playing ball in the June
number of The American Boy Maya
zine:
st have played ball almost ever
since I can remember. 1 presume
played more than most of the other
fellows because 1 liked it so we'll First
on the vacant lots around Akron,
Ohio, and then on the high school
diamond, I kept constantly at it. I
had no opportunities which are not
open to the average American boy
Many have more.
ANY boy who will practice steadily
and put some study and thought on
the game can improve greatly. OF
course natural ability counts for a
good deal, yet it alone is not enough.
1t must be developed by practice and
study if one is to become even an
ordinarily good ball player. The boy
with but ordinary ability can, if he
makes a real effort often surpass the
boy with far greater ability. Hard
work counts in baseball, as in every
thing else, and the chap who tries
| to get along without it fails in the
| end.
CT do not believe that any boy
should put baseball above everything
else, or make an effort to attain
skill in baseball his principal aim in
| life. Do not allow yourself to be daz-
zled by the big salaries which you
hear are paid to ball players. These
are exceptional, and you must re-
member that one cannot earn them
for very many years. There are many
positions better than those even in
the big leagues, and almost any po-
sition which is open to a boy of ed
ucation is better in the long run than
a place in the minors.
'"9The ball player is just through
before he is thirty-five, just when
most men are. beginning to accomplish
something in business, and unless he
has trained himself for business or
saved a fortune he is in a difficult
position. So the wise boy will stay
in school just as long as he can and
prepare himself for a regular business
or professional calling He should
view baseball as a recreation. He
can find time to play without inter
fering with his study # he works
hard enough at both. If his schoo,
play enables him to develop enough
baseball skill to win him a highly.
paid, big league position it may be
worth his while to earn that money
for few years and save share of il
to help him get started in bushes!
later. But the chances of doing thi!
are so slim for the average boy tina
it would be most foolish to put base
ball first
And then, knowing baseball to b,
splendid recreation for boys,
healthful exercise, a developer of tn,
team-play' spirit which is so help
full all through life. Mr.. Sisler goei
on into an entertaining and practica
story of his own remarkabale experi
ence on the college diamond and af
ter, detailing instructions which will
be of real help to any boy who want
to gain proficiency in the "nationa
game"