Norwich bulletin., 1918-10-17
LEAGUE BALL PLAYERS
 ARE ALL SUPERSTITIOUS

AhE ALL lOO0
 There are some ball players who are too matter of fact" and consider themselves too sensible to indulge in the belief or indulge in superstitions. However, the typical pastimer, in line with ball players from time immemor- ial will pick up pins and safety pins for good luck, hairpins for base hits, spit in his hat to kill the jinX of a cross eyed person, salute a funeral, a red headed person or a load of hay to win game and follow numerous other customs which are reputed to bring good luck to club or to the player himself
 Almost every ball player has his in dividual superstitions, although you cannot say that he actually believes in them. At the same time, if a player picks up his bat or goes up to. the plate in a manner differing from his | usual custom and he gets hit, some that he had better not fail to do the same thing again. A habit thus be- 1 comes a sort of superstition which really serves him well for the reason | that it gives him confidence. which means much toward his success. Bob Harmon always wore his cap on one side of his head when working. | because of the fact that he wore it in | this manner in the first game he pitched and won in the big league. Christy Matthewson always placed his gloves, face up, near the side line, and would never allow anyone to | hand it to him when returning to the l box.
 1 Chief Bender always pitched his glove to the side line as he walked out of the box. He never was known to lay it down He would get his signal from the catcher and step into | the box from behind and always his right foot first.
 Eddie Plank would never warm up with a new ball on the days he work ed. He always hung his sweater on a certain nail in the "dugout' and woe be unto the player who moved it. | Walter Johnson has a certain place to warm up whenever it is his day to pitch and in walking from the bench to the box, he always travels the same route
 Cy Young would always warm up on his day to pitch with the catcher who was going to work. On these days he would always sec that the bat boy placed the bats with the handles toward the inff,ld. He would never allow bats to remain crossed Ty Cobb always swings. the same three bats each time he goes up to hit during the game.
 Eddie Collins has a certain way to put on his uniform. He always dresses from his feet up.
 Johnny Evers, the little Trojan always believed that his club would win if he put Gne stocking on with the wrong side out. He continued the habit throughout his career.
 Lajoie had certain bat which he used in the game and under no con- ditions would he allow any one to use it, for the reason that the player us ing it might get a hit which really be- longed to the owner of the bat. Hans Wagner would never allow { player or bat boy to make any move to disarrange the be/5 or to start put ting them away until the last mar was out in the last inning, no matter how the score stood
 Johnny King always had a certain place to lay his mask, glove and pro- tector, and he always put them on the same way. He would never start ar inning without a throw to second base.
 Hal Chase believes that he cannot get hit unless he spits in his hand and touches his cap before a pitcher delivers the ball
 There is a general superstition among ball players about wearing new uniforms and using new gloves