The Washington times., 1925-12-16

have talked to many ballpiayers4
and they agree that their first in .
sight into the broader world and
the realization of what education
means is one of the biggest things
to be got out of the game. Mum
hers Of them have been so Inn
pressed with this -as-.to save up
their baseball money and take col
lege courses. during the off months.
or course. there are some who do
not care and who never improve
mentally but they are exceptional.
There was a time-tWenty years
ago-when first class hotels would
not take ball clubs as guests. Now
the most refined hotels in the coun-
try seek the baseball patronage.
That is certainly an indication OF
progress.
MY DAYS on the diamond have
been rather stormy, duo TO my
llfgaI strung nature and rather
fiery temper. Later on 1 VIII
reaafa some Of these rather sensa-
tiOnal incidents and win present
my side OF them, but not IN tins
chapter.
Through these sensational clashes
,,.v twenty years in baseball have
taught me the necessity OF sen
restraint. 1t may be that nave
not entirely succeeded but l nave
tried. At least know that man
:, .nv walk of life must learn
self restraint to be successful and
- he comfortable in his mind. II
requires no effort to get in q fight
~, tl,e taseball diamond but 1t orten
REQUIRES a big struggle and q grit.
ling If teeth to keep out OF one.
BASEBALL has taught me that'
~,,nnose the same thing applies 10
other professions but In paseuan
there is much more opportunity tol
living off the handle and engaging
in physicaI combat. The lesson -
more severe. When men nave ho
fear of each other they soon leaI
to respect each others IDEAS I SalIu
be more generous minoeo.
learn forgiveness and mannnesS'
Thai / think pretty well worth
while.
Not so long ago was seated a.
thu world series between Two nlen
with whom / had quafreheo VIZ
Ier1tly, Our baseball quarfels nu
fiIIed columns in the news at the
! 80 a number of friends gathered
sro,Ind at the series to- see how
ne three would act. These pase
hal, men had been just as nery
srd helIiRerent~ as l had been, but
that dav we shook hands and spent
= nleasant afternoon discussing the
technical points of the game oelng
pIaved. Not word or the past
vas brought UP. That was because
neither Of US feared the other,
mentally or physically, and we re-
spected each others knowledge and
ability in our profession. That IS
an example of what / mean by
learning self-restraint.
Twenty years Of baseball also
have taught me the necessity OF
concentration and Application. l
have learned the difference be.
tween a real idea and one that
merely hobs up In conversation,
only to be forgotten. In base
bali, a player has a chance every
day to find out where he Is
wrong. An idea that doesn't
stand this daily test is no idea at
all.
When q youngster at the game.
I used to lie in bed at night and
think out new schemes of beating
the game--of doing something that
nobody else had thought of. That
thing Of thinking up something alb
solutely new is a tough proposition.
Just the same, it is possible to be
original IL you only stick to 1t long
enough.
Early in my career, L noticed
that ball players were usually not
so last in. the early spring as they
were later on in the summer. They
hadn't worked off their feeling of
heaviness. One spring 1t occurred
to. me, therefore, that IL / put
weights in the soles of my shoes
that it would require an extra eff
fort to lift my feet. The work
would strengthen my leg muscles
early. Then when took the
weights out at the start Of the