The Washington times., 1925-02-23


Wien / received the welcome
from the Reno school children
was asked to make a speech. After
begging off on the speech was
asked to give ten rules for boys
who expected to become successful
big league stars. l have no desire
10 preach or sernonize on the sub
ject and the following suggestions
are Just good common sense:
/. Take care Of your growing
body. Don't use tobacco until
your body is mature. And at No
age will liquor help you.
Only two things really count
In baSebaIl-ability and hard
work.
3. Keep good hours and good
habits or you won't last long.
T. Don't crab at the umpire.
PLAYERS If they make misplays.
You are bound to have days when
the breaks will all go against
you.
5. Forget defeat. Today you're
2 hero; tomorrow you may be
duh. Never think about the
8oAuCC yOu tA0NC AOots
6. Play your own lame. Don't
mind the stands. II you are af-
fected by approval or by criticism
you will fail.
Z. Never lose your head.
8. Be willing 10 start at the
very bottom.
2. Remember-if you have
ability-you'n get the chance to-
prove il. You'll ''go up" If you
are good.
10. Don't cheat. Be square with
with yourself, your ball club, and
with the public. SHADY" baseball
Is just as bad as cheating.
I have never touched liquor or
tobacco in my life. and. / believe
that, in great way. accounts for
nay fine physical condition after
eighteen years of pitching. II is
not necessary to mention names,
but dozens of baseball stars have
gone out OF the game and are al.
most forgotten, because liquor got
the best of them. Many of them
reached the heights Of fame AMI
big salaries and then. tumbIed TO
broken health and in many cases,
sarly graves. The records that
some Of these great stars left be-
hind after short, sensational
showed that they had the
ability and the opportunity-but
they lacked the common sense.
Let me say one. thing, to every
boy in the United States who's has
hopes Of becoming a baseball 1star
LEAVE LIQUOR ALONE!~ aAFs
Remember, there are three In
geparable things in the life of a
baseball star-Big salary; Publicity
and TEMPTATION. You can't
have the first two and escape the
third one, which simply means
going to the devil" And to boys,
like myself born and raised in
small towns. temptation in base
ball comes quicker and stronger.
n you leave liquor alone you can
lick temptation but IL you don't,
then temptation will lick you, sure.
And that means baseball failure
because the greatest star who ever
lived is useless to ball club,
when he dissipates.
Out Of a great pile of letters
from boys, / am publishing q
few in my story, in order to
show readers just how seriously
young boys regard the prOfes-
siOnaI bah player and therefore
the great responsibility and
obligation the player owes in
return.
Francis Bailey, thirteen-year-old
boy. living I'm Mt. Rainier. Nd,
writes: 81 have been listening in,
10 every game, on the radio. / saw
you pitch one Friday. / was there
with the Boy Scouts. / am a mem
Der of Troop SO and am a second
class scout. / am in the seventh
grade. / have three brothers, who
are all crazy over you. Whenever
We play ball we all want to be
pitchers. Whoever is pitcher makes
out he is Walter johnson. We
have your picture in our rooms
at home. My mother liked your
ball playing when l was too young.
to understand. My three brothers
and we wish you long and a
happy life
From Ottumwa, Iowa, Bernard
Pohlson wrote: II am thirteen
years old and go to every game the
Ottumwa team plays, and / wish
you would send me a baseball
want Washington to win the pen
nant and the world series. Our
newspaper has machine that
shows every play, and 1 will he
there if dad will let me stay out
OF school and pull for you and your
team. So don't forget when you
are pitching, that if you don't win
there will be sad boy out in OF
tumwa. Iowa. / will close now and
wish you good luck, and please