The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1918-10-16
BASEBALL SUGGESTIONS.
Almost Every Player Has Some Particu-
lar Stunt He Believes In.


Some baseball players consider them
selves too sensible to indulge in the prac-
tice OF superstitions, but the typical
pastime, IN line with ball players from
time immemorial, will pick up pins and
safety pins for good luck, halrpins for
hits, spit in his hat to kill the. llnx of a
crosseyed person, salute a funeral, red
headed person or load OF hay to win
a game, and follow numerous other GUS
toms which are reputed to bring good
luck to a club or to the player himself.
Almost every ball player has his in
| diyldual superstitions, although you can
not say that he actually believes in
them. At the same time, If player
picks up his bat or goes up to the plate
in manner differing from his usual Gus
tom and he gets hit, somehow, the
idea gets under his skin" that he had
better not fail to do the same thing
again. habit thus becomes sort of
superstition which really serves him well
for the reason that9it gives him conf
dence, which means much toward his
success.
Bob Harmon always wore his cap on
one. side of his head when working, be-
cause of the fact that he wore 1t in this
manner in the first game he pitched and
won in the big league.
Christy Mathewson always placed his
glove, face up, near the side line, and
would never allow anyone to hand 1t to
him when returning to the box.
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 catch
er and step into the boz: from behind anC
always his right foot first.
; Eddie Plank would never warm VI
with new ball on the days he worked
! He always hungshis sweater on certain
nail in the "dugont" and woe be unto
the player who moved it.
, Walter Johnson has a certain place
, to warm up whenever it is his day t
, pitch, and in walking from the bench t,
the box he always travels the same route
\ Cy Young would always warm up OF
! his day to pitch with the catcher VIII
) was going to work On these days h
would always see that the bat boy place
the bats with the handles toward the in
field. He would never allow bats to re
main crossed.
!. Ty Cobb always swings the same thre
! bats each time he goes up to hit durin
a game.
n Eddie Collins has certain way to pu
on his uniform. He always dresses froI
! his feet up
Johnny Evers, the little Trojan. a
ways believes that his club would win
: he put one stocking on with the wron
side out He continued the habit through
e out his career.
!. Laioie had a certain bat which he use
: in the game and under no condition
e would he allow anyone to use it, for Il
reason that the player using it migl
/ get a hit which really belonged to Il
e owner of the bat.
Hans Wagner would never allow
player or bat boy to make any move /
! disarrange the bats or to start puttir
them away until the last man was OF
in the last inning, no matter how Il
= score stood.
r Johnny King always had certa
place to lay hig mask, glove and prote
Is tor. and he always put them on the san
h. way He would never start an innii
without throw to second base.
10 Hal Chase believes. that he cannot g
,t hit unless he splits in his hand al
touches his cap before a pitcher delive
:, the ball
u There is a general superstition amor
" ball players about wearing new miforr
and using new gloves.-Springfield r
Is publican.