Evening star., 1939-01-22
Baseball
Continued Form Page C-4)


camp is replete with dramatics.
There are laughs and tears nearly
every other day. While it will be up
to Griffith, Harris and Trainer
Martin to fatten up group OF raw
youngsters in February. it will be
up to them also to knock off plenty
of poundage, later on, from some of
the veterans.
A couple of seasons ago, needing
a catcher badly, Griffith acquired
Francis (Shanty) Hogan. one-time
star of the Giants and Bees. The
large Mr. Hogan literally ate himself
out of the National League and into
the bushes He weighed 280 pounds
when Washington got him.
Griffith never worked harder on a
ball player and no ball player ever
worked harder than Hogan. He was
packed off to Hot Springs. Ark, to
take the baths and long hikes. He
reported early to Orlando and
starved himself. In his salad days
with the Giants the weight question
always was big one for Shanty. The
late John McGraw hit upon sys-
tenn OF checking up on his roly-poly
catcher. He would send for his
hotel dining bill, which had to be
written out by the eater, and scan it
for orders of potatoes, steaks, ice
cream and thick soups. Hogan, in
turn. devised a system to thwart
McGraw.
Digging into his pocket. the color
full catcher tipped walters lavishly
and taught them sign system.
When he wrote plain lettuce, no
dressing" it meant mashed potatoes
and gravy. Fruit juice" was cream
of mushroom soup Lamb chop"
meant a steak. lavishly decorated
with onions. Black coffee was
double-dip of ice cream or lemon
meringue pie.
But when he became a Senator
and trained at Orlando, the fat man
became serious. He ran around the
big ball field until his tongue hung
out. He pushed heavy rollers. played
volley ball and wrestled with team
mates while wearing heavy rubber
reducing shirt under his flannel uni
FORM He sweated off so pounds and
set an all-time record for a ball
player.
The fates weren't kind to Shanty.
Weighing 225 pounds when the sea-
son was over, he started as the Mats
regular catcher. A month later he
was released to the minors. 1t de-
veloped that Hogan had lost so
much weight that he had become
weak and unable to fulfill the re.
quirements.
Training season is greeted by ball
players with mingled emotions. The
rockies welcome it with open arms.
1t is opportunity knocking loudly at
their doors 1t means fine. free
meals, hotel life and a background
of sunny blue skies and softly wav-
ing palms. 1t is the avenue to fame
and fortune. The veterans look upon
spring training with distaste. They
would prefer to stay at home and
prolong the hunting season. Train
ing to them Is necessary evil, but
not for the reason you might think
Of, offhand. They don't regard it as
necessary to get into physical trim.
They know that. as far as they are
concerned training is only the ma
jor part of club owners drive for
publicity.
Spring training involves exhibition
games on bumpy. undependable dia-
monds in little Florida towns and in
minor league cities. 1t means facing
the pitching of some wild, raw kid
owning fast ball and anxious to
make good. 1t means tagging rook-
les who don't know how to slide
properly. The specter Of having
spikes digging into their flesh or a
ball hitting them in the head haunts
the veteran. And pay doesn't begin.
you know, until the opening day of
the official season.
The question remains, What is
spring training? For raw recruits 1t
Is a fattening period time, too,
when they learn how to hold run
ners on the bases and to field bunts
and to cover first base. AS for pitch
ing, they either have fast ball or a
curve or they haven't. They either
can hit or they can't hit. For the
veteran 1t is something ordered by
the club owner so that photogra-
pliers can make him go through the
same poses again and newspapermen
can ask him the same questions they
have been asking for years.
The average major league club will
spend approximately $4,000 in
spring training. In return that team
will receive approximately five times
as much in free advertising. The
reliable newspapers allow the clubs
to pay no part of their correspond
ents' freight. There is no outlay
whatsoever for most teams 1t is just
a gigantic tub-thumping campaign
that pays big dividends.
For the fans it means the end Of .
winter Of lean sports pages. chock.
full Of review stuff, canned columns
and basket ball agate.