Show Tacks Superstitions Billy Phyla who played second base for tor the last season until he was traded to St Louis has the follow rollow following ing lug story to tell Talk about superstitious baIl ball play players ers era but Tacks old Southern league player is the limit says He is a crank on batting and can tell tel you his batting average any time In Inthe Inthe Inthe the season or for that matter any an time in the game He carries a little piece of ot chalk in his shirt pocket and after each time at bat he figures out his average on the time bench ben h hr I r roomed with Parrot In Frisco par past part of one season I had taken a slump in my batting and batting eye had also gone on a vacation He came cameto cameto cameto to me one morning and with wih much mystery In his voice Imparted the in that t at I was a Jonah That Tha night after fter supper when I went up to tomy tomy tomy my room my trunk and all m my clothes out In the hall The Tho landlady had to give siye me a new ne room Parrott positively refused to room with me any anymore anymore anymore more because b cause he said it affected his batting eye e e eIf If a man on a team got a new bat bai batand batand and was hitting well wen with it the next nest day clay Tacks would show up with the tho same kind of a bat He had a special trunk made to carry his bats and he always had it full fuU I have seen him go goso goso goso so far as to use UC the same brand ol of tooth powder that another player used who was hitting well Out In Frisco Tacks was wa hitting well weIl one day The first two times up he got two safe ones About the time he went to the bat the third time the of official official scorer came carne down and sat on the bench with the players Tacks struck out When he saw the scorer there he chased him off of the field declaring him responsible for his striking out He was the most superstitious man I ever saw |