The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1931-02-24
Hornsby Makes Baseball His Hobby
Chicago Cub Manager Is Lone
Wolf Because Of Habits and
Not Preference
BY A U

BY PAUL MICKELSoN
chicago, Feb. 24.-R-A her,
worshiper on a visit to Cataiino
island, training ground for the a rhi
cago Cubs, sided up to a rookie nna
day. oae
Say" he said, who in the uor,s
is that guy over there by the f;ra
place? I've been in this hote, for
days now and every time I come ,nta
the lounge I see him sitting and star'
ing at everybody. he isn't a ball nav.
er, is hep"
"A ball player! Gasped the amazea
rookie. why mister, that's Roger.
Hornsby, probably the greatest ROB,
hand hitter the game has eyer
known"
The hero %worshiper retired in con.
fusion, but he had seen q real picture
of the rajah, perhaps the stranpes,
personality in baseball. He has been
booed and cheered alike by millions
Of fans and has broken record after
record with his big stick, and vet
he acts just as he did is years AGO
when he came up to the major
leagues, q raw-boned, inquisitiye kjd
from Texas.
Has Rare Habits
He is a lone wolf because of habits
rather than preference. He doesn't
chew. smoke or drink. He doesn't
dance, play cards or golf. His bust
ness Is baseball and so is his hobby.
He will talk of it for hours with my
one who will listen. If the conver-
sation is switched to some other sub
ject he is apt to walk right out of
the discussion. He sits for hours
staring out of a chair in hotel Hobbies
like a farmer boy on his first trip to
q big city. He rarely reads even
baseball stories in the papers, saving
his eyes to watch for pellets curving
across the corners Of a plate. Rarely
does he go to the theater.
He doesn't know a brassie from a
niblick, he raises sod for putting
green's or 81 acres of his Missouri
farm. He has never zen a putt
made on his own grass. Twice, out
of curiosity, he has hit golf balls. He
dubbed the first drive in the park al
Catalina and hit the next one $50
yards. and out of the lot. He never
hit another. He wasn't interested.
Is Sly Humorist
His sense of humor is keen and sly.
BY organized cheering he piloted
Andy Lotshaw, Cub trainer. ana
Hank Grampp, bull pen pitcher, a
couple of left footers, into a dead
heat for the annual camp dancing
championship at Catalina. Once he
asked q sports writer's wife to teach
him to dance. She agreed but when
the music started up he Redeemed
and said:
law, I was just foolin. / could
never learn to dance"
He likes to watch airplanes flying
around. Someday he'd like to own
and fly one. He likes to farm. II
prohibition hadn't become a law he
might have been as good q bartender
as he is q ball player. No matter how
fine the mixture he won't drink it..
He is one of the most difficult mel
in sport to interview. He will answer
questions fully but volunteers little
information.
Once while hitting over 400 he fell
into q slump for two days. A rookie
who never could hope to club ESQ
seriously pointed out certain mistakes
in his stance and grip. Hornsby had
the novice go over the instructions
again and again. The ribbing went
on for over an hour.
Likes to Eat
He believes in lots Of food for ball
players. Warren Brown once asked
him the secret Of his punch at the
plate.
Them steaks" he answered.
The next day he took Brown ana
several players with him to q dilapl-
tated lunchroom and fed them steaks
the size Of dish pans. -,
"Just cat them steaks awhile ana
you'll hit" he insisted. "They give
you something to work with. They
give you beef and power"
Behind his seriousness Is \ back
drop of melancholy. He doesn't care
what is said about him. Whether
he's liked or disliked, cheered or
booed, he gets tired of being in the
limelight. One day last summer l
asked him to 60 to the horse races
an interest he has given UP because
Of difficulties that once beset him
I'D like to 60" he sighed. There's
lots of things I like to do. But 1
can't. People would say There lie %
back at the horse races Sometimes
I wish I was Just a bat boy. Then l.
..,,,.a IN - yo% ~ THINGS 7 want to DO.