San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1925-12-20


the National Leagues most valuable
player for 1925.
Players in the National League re-
Gently voted that Rogers was the
most dangerous pinch hitter in the
league. Pitchers will agree with that
President Heydler last year said Rog-
ers was the greatest batter Of all
times.
Hornsby started 10 lead the Ma
tional League hitters in 1920, when
he batted $40. The next year he
climbed to 1897 and in 1922 for the
first time he went over 400, with
a mark Of .401. In 1923, he had a
terrible slump. falling far down to
.3S4. He came back strong in 1924
with an average Of .424 and last year,
though he played much Of the time
on an injured leg. be batted .403.
In view of all this evidence we
need must pay attention when Horns
by says that early TO bed and early
TO rise Is bad medicine for the ball
player. Coming from some players we
might take such a statement as the
wall OF a night wanderer. But Horns
by is no wild prowler. he never has
been. He won't be when the Cardi-
mails are in their San Antonio camp
IN the spring.
SLEEPS A FULL II HOURS
How do ] hit the ball so hard?
Well, the most important thing in
my schedule is sleep" said Hornsby.
Il get II hours a day and i find that
need u hours 70 be in the best
condition 10 play baseball. Perhaps
the next most important thing is diet
I don't mean what you eat, but how
you eat and when you eat.
Il always hit the hay by IL o'clock
and l have my sleep out. Usually il
is IL in the morning before / roll
out of bad. Then ] eat a combination
breakfast and lunch and by the time
get 10 the ball park my food is d.
gested and / am ready for the strenu-
Gus business of matching my swings
with the pitchers curves.
81 know Of many players who think
that II is best 10 90 10 bed early in the
evening and arise early in the morn
ing, but | think that is not good for
ball player. The player who awakes
that early, eats an early breakfast
and is ready for more food by noon.
Then when he gets 70 the ball park
he is ready for a nap. Being up all
morning, he is tired and the food adds
TO his drowsiness. He goes out and
plays ball when he would prefer TO
curl up on the bench and take a nap.
you have 10 be vide awake 10 hit
the ball and you can't be wide-a-wake
Il you get up early in the morning.
That early-to-bed stuff may be all
right for other lines Of business, where
most Of the work is done before 2 in
the afternoon, but in baseball the
player just goes TO his actual work
about 3 o'clock, when men in other
lines Of business are through for the
day and out for recreation.
at also is bad business 10 do too
much reading. Many players read on
the train and on street cars, in their
berths and then prop themselves up
IN bed and read until they fall asleep
with a bright electric light shining
in their eyes. These players may
have q reputation for being clean liv-
Nios DIA Until AeAA q " All ria "
for batting when they abuse them in
that way.
.2ow about meals2 Well. eai
whatever want. ! usually drink milk
81 my meals, but that's a matter Of
personal taste. But ! eat just two
meals a day and ] eat as much as
want af each meal"
Hornsby said he would give the
players chance 70 try out the -
hour sleeping period at the spring
training camp az San Antonio. He
said there would be one workout each
day, starting az II O'Clock. At the
California camp last year lunch was
arVed AZ the ball park between work
suts, but there win be no lunch this
,ear
lit makes the men heavy and slug
csh and the afternoon workout i
isrerig . matter % driving them q
their duiies, Asid Hornsby.