Evening star., 1918-03-24
By BILLY EVANS.

Few fans ever connect the ground
keeper With the success Of team. Yet
some Of them on the major league cir
CUTS have played important parts in
many important battles Of the diamond.
Usually they are carrying out the or
: ders of some one higher up. But every
now and then they perfect some feature
that greatly helps the homo team. and.
until discovered. works to the detriment
Of the visitors. The built-up foul line.
the elevated pitchers box. the slowing
M Of certain portions Of the infield by
use Of water. the proper manfcuring OF
the grass. by allowing certain portions
to grow slightly longer than others. in
order to aid in keeping bunted balls
fair. are just q few of the contrfvances
concocted by the groundkeeper.
There are also many other occasions
where the groundkeeper can be used to
great advantage by the home team.
Last season, in an important game be-
tween two Of the pennant contenders,
rain suddenly interrupted play in the
sixth inning. The score was to in
favor Of the home team. 1t rained hard
for about fifteen minutes, then ceased
rs suddenly as 1t started. the sun COM
ing out bright 1 ordered the ground
keeper to get his crew into action and
do his best to get the field in good
shape. For about fifteen minutes the
groundkeeper stalled around with about
twenty men assisting and accomplished
sawdust was applied to the wet spots:
why no top soil was worked into the
wet ground in an effort to dry 1t out;
why no gasoline was spread over the
cut the field. The groundkeeper said.
with much regret. that he was entirely
out of sawdust, top soil and gasoline;
that some had been ordered for a week.
but as yet had failed to arrive.
1t. was evident to me what MI.
Croundkeeper was trying to pull at
my expense, as well as the visiting
team, but at the time I was power
less to do anything that might pos
eihfy get the ground into better shape
have no doubt that the groundkeeper
vas acting under orders. 1 frankly
told the manager so, but. of course, he
csnied having any part in the happen
angs Of the day.
Soggy Grounds Handicap.
knows that the making of runs on a
eoggy wet field is a difficult PROPOSE
fion- Any time game is played un-
DER such adverse conditions q low
sore Is sure to result. In this game
the home team, as stated. was out in
front, to l, enjoying a hve-run mar
Gin- It meant to keep that advantage
knowing the difficulties of getting
AunS oSeI on Soggy neid, II preferred
making it tough for the opposition by
only Slightly improving the condition
Of the playing field. Under such con-
ditions the ball after getting wet. be-
comes dead; and It is almost Impossible
to make long drive The footing on
the base paths Is always very treach-
erouS, 50 that a runner is unable to
Get up anything like his regular speed.
This greatly increases the neiders
may badly tumble the ball After
Watching the groundkeeper put on q
thirty-minute burlesque of trying to
est-the neld in shape. I ordered the
ened to score in the next three innines-
the home team winning, to 1. and the
tactics adopted had brought about the
desired result
The next day rain again halted the
visitors in the lead, 3 to 2 1t rained
1alriy hard for about twenty minutes
tnen cleared up. The groundkeeper
vas ordered to go to work on the aeld.
mHch- because was in doubt as to
Wasther his gasoline, sawdust and
top soil supply had arrived. Hardy
nsd ne been ordered to go to work on
kne indead, when man after man
eeArted coming on the field with wheeI-
barrow after wheelbarTow MED with
Top sou and sawdust. In extremely
bad places gasoline was poured over
tns sawdust, then MIXED in with the
eoil and ignited. Inside Of twenty
good shape that one would have hardT
Known that it had rained. was
rather curious, so inquired as to the
arrival OF the much-needed working
materials. I was informed by the
groundkeeper they had arrived only
an hour before the start Of the game
I wasn't entirely satisfied. looked
TURNER into the matter. From another