Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1922-02-28
SOME DOPE ON THE ROCKIES
/ IN THEIR TRAINING CAMPS


The busher is about to take his place
In the front rank Of baseballs host
again, to preen himself before the public |
for a brief while and then slip out Of
sight, obscured by the hulking form of
the regular. Just about this time ev-
cry year the unknown lad from the
Painted Post or Hohokus or the back
lots Of the big town gets as much at
tention as the established stars His
name and the record of his doings are
plastered over the sporting pages and
the fans talk of him around the supper
table. And then-unless he possesses
exceptional classic falls back to the
minors for further seasoning to be for
gotten until he comes up another year.
The rookie who goes south in the
spBing time with a major league club
leads a busy existence for a few weeks
Into those weeks are packed laughs and
thrills and disappointments, jumbled
with hard work. 1t is a spring he new
er forgets, whether he drifts out Of
baseball or remains in it and achieves
stardom. For the average busher a sin
gle training trip often means the max
| ing or breaking of a major league ca
reer. He has the trail for the southland
with his heart light and his hopes rid
| ing high, the while he wonders what
/ fate holds in store for him and if he
| has the right spirit steels himself for a
| fight to get the best that fate has-to
| go out and grab it and not wait for 1t
to be dropped into his lap.
| A squad of recruits leaving for
| training camp present an interesting
| problem for study. AS rule. none Of
| them ever has seen the others. In the
| excitement attendant upon introductions
at the station, they seldom catch each
l mr. fal-n
| some time for them to get acquainted.
| Meanwhile dn observer may note them
sizing eac hother up. Here pitcher
| will be wondering which of the others
| are pitchers and comparing himself
| with his rivals in the matter of ply
sique. There catching candidate will
be looking for other catehers and won
| dering how good they are and what
| chance he stands with them. If there
are any regulars in the party the rock
les will gave at them in awe inspired
silence for only the freshest bushers
have the temerlty to address regulars
the first day out.
Upon reaching the training camp they
are paired off and assigned to their
rooms. Only when it is unavoidable is
a rookie ever assigned to room with a
regular, the managers preferring to
have the Youngsters keep to them
selves. As a similar preference is ex-
hibited by both rockies and regulars
there is no kick over such an arrange
ment. In the hotel dining room, too, the
! bushers stick together. After the ciuf
| has been in camp for a week OF so they
mingle freely with the regulars, but al
the outset the lines are drawn sharply
For the first couple of weeks of the
stay in camp the rockies get practically
the entire attention of the manager
The yygulars are left largely to them
selves while they go through exercises
calculated to timber IN their muscles
stiffened by winter of idleness, whilt
the young fellows caper about in tn.
sunshine under the careful scrutiny o
the manager. AS a rule. ~the chief diff
Guilty manager has with his recruit!
is 10 keen them from striking too fas
a pace. In their eagerness to show t.
the hest advantage in the short time al
loted 20 them they hurl the ball am
themselves around with reckless aban
don on the first day unless a check /.
pvt upon them. It is not unusual for {
recruit to start his training so violent
" as to pct himself completely out o.
the running because of sore muscles FOL
lowing the first days excuses.
When the training of the club as
whole has advanced to the stage wher'
daily practice g.nles are played III
rockies are y;tted against the reguia &C
It almost always hanpens that in tn
first three CT four games the youngster
play rings around the veterans. VIII
round into form slowly. This oftel
causes juhilation among the rockies
; who do not look bevond their own ski
To the lack Of condition on the mart 0
tho regulars for the real reason for tn
victories they score. Their triumnhs ar
short lived however. for once the reg
ulars hit their normal stride the bush
ers Of course. are easy picking 70
them.
common fault. and natural on
for those who look on at a trainin
camp. is 10 overestin7ate the ability .
husher in the early davs Of the team
sojourn AS a result, players often ar