Show OLD TIMER TELLS OF TRICKS USED I TWENTY YEARS AGO IN BASEBALL Boston American Of course cune I know kow that you young youngsters youngsters ser and here he Owney Ghagan gazed around at nobody in particular think baseball bbl is 18 so 1 fast fas today toay that the gae game we had in the th eighties compares to it like a sprinkling cart crt to a gasoline chaise chail But take it I from fr me the real rel ones onea On twenty years yer ago were we as u fast fat and tricky as al the te men me whose names get g in inthe Inthe inthe the paper every day dy now You youngsters have heard her about abut Arthur Irwin Irin I suppose He was ws the te fellow who Invented baseball bbl gloves glove I saw aw him the other day looking as pros prosperous pr porous rou as a a successful tul con man and we fanned for a long log time Now Irwin was one of the th tricky boys by when e baseball was reaching the thelong thelong thelong long pants pant stage ste He played short for fo Philadelphia when at his best bt and he sure sur was wua a daisy dals The way he h handled handle the time hardest hit balls was a source sour of wonder to the crowds and an he h had ha em e cheering day after da df day with his hi stops stOP and throws Baseball then what it is now no in some respects repts They Th dint have such strict rules for lor one thing and the t players could get set away with things which arent permitted now And nd it I was wa because buse of this thi condition that fel tel fellows fellow lows low tricks like Irwin could turn their ther little Perhaps youve noticed that tt after afe a heavy rainfall the ban ball is Ie slower than during durine a dry dr spell The reason re is l that when the te ground gund Is soaked the t turf is la lanot not so lively and the th ball bl loses l it I Its re resiliency r resiliency Well Vell Wel Irwin got wise to t this in the days when I hen Infielders worked without gloves and when the te team tem played at al home he had the use us the t hose between second and third for an hour or so before the game He stand around arund and bos bot boes s the job until tir til th gr grund und w i 1 so 5 that tha It I spurted water ev cv ry tim tm the ball bal hit It f ItOn On the road rad Irwin Irin always a left lef the hotel an hour hou before bor the te rest rt of the th players plyer and headed hed for the park wi h Ii i ie 18 r rhe he either tipped the te grou r t sprinkle the grass g around aund his hi position or attached the hose bO and an did dd the wr v rc himself lf He generally managed m to finish the tha thE Job jb before the gates were opened a al althe 11 1 the spectators didt get wise vise to him And if they te had b seen him hi they not have been b impressed Imp Few realized that tt te the hardest Tit r it t ball bail bl would slow up materially when n it struck the soft wet turf which lik lal liking ing Iq the resistance of the the 1 1st spots st acted ate as a a brake bre and a mail made e t th t i s fielding easier esier Id Id like lie to see B some one on on n a visit u team attempt to pull pul off of 0 this thUI stunt n 1 m when are jut Just zealous for tor fr the success c of o their tir t tf torim un D li lithe the craziest crl fan in town towo |