Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-12-18
! WIN, LOSE OR
IDRAW ), FRANCE, ,rAu~
Shades Of Dr.. Trocy


1T MUST BE HEARTENlNG for Walter OMalley to
learn that his pitcher. Don Newcomhe, apparently is
coming his fear Of the flying machine. Not much that
oMalley has heard has been very good Of late.
As you know, Newcombe felt that he had to take
when the Dodgers for whom he tolls and the
Giants moved to California. Il knew I'd have to ny
or ese Newk argued In this mood he sought out hyp-
notist
Newcombe and his svengali have logged one trip from
New York to Detroit and the 6foot4 athlete who prefers
q Pullman lower, disemharked under his own power He
appeared to be impressed with the experiment and II
steady progress noted Don should be able to cope with
affairs In 1885, whether he is pitching for the Pasadena,
Los Angeles Brooklyn Dodgers, for some other Ma
tonal League club.
This is not the rst time the power of suggestion has
been introduced in baseball although be more sue
cessfu than say Dr. David Tracys effort on behalf Of
the old St. Louis Browns in ls4s.
$3.50
DR. TRACY WAS A PSYCHOLOGIST with fine dis
dain for earned-run averages batting averages runs
battedn statistics etc He undertook to improve the
Browns through the power Of suggestion.
In those years Zach Taylor grizzled ed catcher.
was managing the Browns Zach more amused than
ANNOYED when the psychologist took his nept warriors
aside and tried to hypnotic the pitchers into throwing
sharper balls and strikes and the hters into
stepping into the slants of Hal Newhouser Bob Feller
Allie Reynolds and the other good American League
pitchers
''You must rid yourself Of defeatist complex" the
good doctor ectured you bring out your native
ability"
The latter feat patiently impossible. The Browns
didn't have any ability. native or otherwise. they lost
l0l games in and finished next to last st. Louis beat
out only club Washington but the Senators had the
satisfaction of saving psychologists fee
On May So 1885, the good Dr. Tracy no longer worked
for the Browns There lack Of cooperation from
the management" the psychologist complained
1T cost too much and we're not drawing President
Bill Dewitt explained BY then St. Louis was In the cellar
$3.50
MORE THAN ONE FIGHTER has been subjected to
nj xagre hVDnOtisu. When MeiO Bet
tina was fighting he managed by one Jimmy Grippe.
theatrical and night club hynoptist Grippe, naturally.
felt that Bettna might profit II he were under the In
nuence.
It worked for while although the fact that Bettina
was efhander helped confuse Of his opponents To
day. however nobody to be able to prove what
confused Tiger Jack notorious puncher who swooned
front of Melio night The New York State Athletic
Commission then chose Bettna its light heavyweight
champion ~
Five months later Bettina his title to Billy Conn,
who refused to be affected by Jimmy Grippos powers
expressed interest in hypnosm, but in those
days Billy curious hungry and so first things
first.
1t wasn't until later that became victim Of self
hypnosis. This when he had Joe Louis outpoinfed
with the heavyweight at stake Billy sold himself
the idea Of knocking out Louis well as outboxng him
and ran into charge of dynamite.
DR. TRACY DIED HARD in his efforts to prove that
hypnotsm might athletes Not long after he was
sacked by the Browns he caught on with the New YORK
hockey Rangers.
Now the Rangers just about as futile on the ice
the Browns the diamond, and the management
logically reasoned that Dr. Tracy couldn't hurt the puck
chasers The assumption correct Dr. Tracy couldn't
hurt Rangers On the other hand he didn't help ana
so this marriage Of sport and hypnosis broke up.
Dr. Tracy. of course, always could contend that ne
wasn't given fair shake. The Browns and the Rangers
were kind of parley, even for a psychologist The
trouble that athletes like Lew Burdette and Ted VIII
liams and Gene Brito don't need him
Archie Moore often employs psychology but not to
the extent of hiring somebody Archie Is strictly do-
yourself hypnotst