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Show j BATTERS MAKE SOME FUMX j j EXCUSES WHEN SLUMP IS ON j Bv Ted Sullivan EVERT baseball manager of extended experience knows the excuses ball players make when they take a "slump" in Liicir uu.ii.iDg. ino tailing on m uniting uni-ting skill comes to all players at some period of their season, be they minor or major league players. It Is rarely, however, how-ever, that a ball player will acknowledge the philosophical cause for this, but instead in-stead will advance other Illogical reasons that are sometimes both ludicrous and amusing. There are cases, however, where deterioration of batting skill comes to atay and the high tide of former skill never returns. An instance of this kind I "intend to write of. While running the champion Chattanooga Chatta-nooga team of '92 I rocelved a telegram from a certain Western league player saying say-ing he was released and wanted to Join me. 1 had known tho player before as a crack batsman and fielder- His name was Pat; a fellow of excellent spirit and good principle. The papers of Chattanooga wero booming boom-ing him five or six days before he arrived, ar-rived, heralding him as a great western slugger. Pat came, and all Chattanooga was out to seo the great batsman. Tho first time he went to tho bat a musical sound of applause met his cars. Ho struck out. but of course this was not noticed. The second time he struck out again. The spectators looked at each other In amazement, but tho majority waa inclined to bo charitable, as lt was his first day. and many excuses were advanced ad-vanced for Pat's failure to connect with the sphere. I AM indebted to nature for endowing me with the faculty of intuitively knowing a batter when I see one, even when ho is hitting In hard luck. In Pat's caBe it was deterioration, or in baseball parlance it wa a case of "slump," or, to use the language of tho bleachers, "His lamp needs trimming." I noticed, however, that the former aggressiveness of Pat at the plate was missing and that Bharp Btroko of the. bat was supplanted by an awkward timidity to meet the ball. I took In the whole situation and was ready for any excuse Pat had to make. After ho struck out the third time he camo to the bench and remarked: "Them devils of cars have, my head dizzy from riding from Cincinnati." I said: "Yes. Pat. lt 1b a regular hurdle TM11 fmirVi flnrl th IRflt t lmR at the bat that day he hit a consumptive bounder to the pitcher and died at first. Next day the papers made all the possible pos-sible excuses for Pat, such as his long ride and carrying a great deal of weight. I helped It along by telling my friends that he got a cinder in his eye on his way to Chattanooga. Pat felt good at thlB all-round Jolly, and the audience was ready to noo nlm chastise the ball the second day. Alas, It wan almost a repetition repe-tition of the day beforn. His chagrin was so great that after he struck put tho second time In the game of that day. he exclaimed: , . ... "For heaven's sake. Ted, where did you got thorn bats7 They would not use them In tho Western league to bat fun-goes fun-goes " This was excuse No. 2. I replied: re-plied: "All right, Pat. we will go tomorrow tomor-row and pick out the bent In town. The bats are bad," . . Pat further remarked: "Thoso are rotten rot-ten pitchers I am batting against. I would not earn If they were first-class men." . . . PAT picked two great bats to his fancy the next day, and he kept sbavlng them all that morning with a piece of glass, and more than once retnarkod that he would "drive them hum pitchors to the woods." It was also circulated around town that Pat was not UBed to 8puthcrn league bata, bo that helped him a little with the crowd. The third day the people thought ha would hit the ball sure. My curiosity was only aroused as to what excuse he would offor on tho third day. His big average of tho year was a mighty thing In hie favor, but tho average of the present season was lost In the rain between be-tween Columbus and Indianapolis or perhaps per-haps Minneapolis. Well, my gallant hero, went un the third day with hlo glass-shaven bat with the crowd yet a little favoring him, I throw a jolly into him myself as ho left the bench by saying: "Pat, you know what you did In St Paul In '87, when you won that silver mounted bat." My westerner sauntered to the plate and III foro he could saluta lt. Ho looked hard at the umpire for calling tho. last strike, and said, as ho camo to the bench: "I don't want to kick on umpires, but that-fellow would not lost one Inning In the Westorn league, Ted, Til tell you what is hurting' my batting. It is those coachors that are talking when I am at tho bat. I also think that devil of a skinned diamond has also something to do with my batting. I also have on Idea I that the water here does not agree with me." I answered mildly: "Pat, I will try and remedy all those things for you. But he nearly convulsed me after the last time he went tfc the bat, by stating that he had discovered tho whole cause of his weak batting. It was a sign on the center field fence which read in big yellow letters, "Schllta Brewing Co." He sold the Blgn met his eyes when ho looked at the pitcher. I told him that I would have that covered next day to see If it was the cauHo. This was Just to Jolly him. WELL, the next waa the, fourth and the climax in the faroo comedy of m "How to Offer 'for inability to Bat." r!'i J The most amusing part of it all was iH i he was oblivious: of the fact that J knew y'. 't! what waa the real cause. The papers ' J could not boom him any longer, but arill i all were sorry and I felt lt would break -.'"( i my heart to lot Pat go. I owned the y . club, so there was no one to diotate'about L ' y- releasing him. The fourth day Pat was. ! ? as usuaj. helping the pitchers' record and j '4 ; keeping the air away from the plate, but ; N Pat had the audience a little on his side ' 1 ' by some fine fielding. In the lost Inning '. 1 '1 he finished up the game In Chattanooga ' i by making a pretty catch In center field. ' i j The boys all felt good as thoy entered J the dressing room and Pat also, as it was ' 1 a very cloBe game. ' ': As Pat threw his bat down he said: 1 "Say, Ted, I don't believe In players of- I ' ferlng excuses for poor batting, but who- ("' ever drove In those two white horses In ' f'i center field today with the carriage was J ; no friend of mine, as they affected my ! f : eyes and ruined by batting today." ' ( 1 That was too much, and we all roared, ' I the players more than myself. Pat had l'Vi to laugh himself. Well, Pat has not l i,' played In years. He Is now a rich con- ;:if'3 tractor on the railroad near Indianapolis, 'iiif'-i but he never forgot the whit horses. !'j' M |
