Show II I II II I iMy My Thirty Years I Of Baseball II I John f J. J McG McGraw Discusses Affect Marriage Has Upon Young Ball Play Players s 5 Article 49 MY surprise fans throughout the countrY In answer to our oui our T TO questionnaire have tave hopped on a subject that I would never have thought of discussing In these memoirs As I near the end of my roy story atory though I must answer while there there-is Is time what et effect t on players several ask has haa the presence of wives and sweethearts in the stand or In traveling with the teams Now you know It If I talk too freely on that subject Im I'm going to get in trouble Many times have I 1 been iha ih lb a n. quandary over that an angle le of base base- ball I 1 have even feared fearN to discuss It in private let alone In lit the newspapers news news- papers I On general principles though Ill I'll say this Very few tew ball 1 players layers are Ever er as valuable to a l team the first year ear they are married d a as they are before or after Walt Wait alt a minute minute Ill Ill I'll explain When a young oung tell fellow ow gets It Into his head to get married there is no stopping him I think I have too much touch common sense to even try to stop him He thinks thinks' of ot nothing else He lIe Is entering a a. new phase of ot life lICe and is taking on new responsibilities Naturally he and his wife think their m marriage the most important thing In n the world In working out their early carly problems they forget torget all bout about baseball As a result the young tellow's tel fel lows low's zest Is gone It takes taken a full tull i year for tor him to get down to business 1 and ana concentrate his mind on the game Kame GOOD MATE HELPS ANY BALL PLAYER I am arm convinced that nothing helps a oung young man so much In baseball or in any other profession as a good wife wICe I think though that they ought to get married Immediately after alter the worlds world's series serles By the time the next season comes comas around they will wIlt b bd be able to understand things I have known young oung bridegrooms brIdegroom on the bench to forget torget whether there were men Oz on bases or not Sometimes Sometimes Some Some- times they are not eyen even particular whether there are one or two out They are thinking about that new apartment about that new furniture tha that t fancy tancy gas range and so on It is a beautiful state of ot bliss but take it from me a young man mah in that state state of ot mind doesn't win many ball games It Is quite natural for the wives to want to attend the ball bail games and see their heroes at work Baseball has haa become a part of their lives If It they are sensible women women which which most i of ot them are they are they win will encourage and f of oe criticise It help ll t their I have husbands u had brides rI so s so a as come o to o be to I me and ask what kind of at food toad they ought to prepare for tor their husbands There are other will not attend a game In which their husbands hus hue bands appear They get so nervous over his possible success or failure that they fear tear they will make themselves them them- themselves selves conspicuous I wish all of ot them therm thought that way The wife of or one of ot our greatest pitchers would never c come me to the Polo Grounds on the day her husband pitched She followed the progress of ot the game though by a rather unique method Their apartment was on the Heights From the front WIndow win WIn- dow it was possible to see the s scoreboard scoreboard score score- ore ore- board by the aid of ot a a. pair of field glasses Often this wife wiCe and the wives of at other players used to gather there in the afternoon and have tea while the game was going on on This particular wife knew what dishes her liked most One of his favorites was waB corned beef beet and cabbage If It the glasses showed the Giants behind she would Immediately start preparing that dish Upon hI his arrival home the grouch of or defeat would disappear She would never mention the game until the dinner was over FOOLISH WIVES HURT PLAYERS The wives and sweethearts who rea really 11 cause the player trouble and r embarrassment are the foolish ones one Many ball balt players as you know come into the leagues with little knowledge knowledge knowledge knowl knowl- edge of ot life Ure especially big city life lite They are carried away with hero worship and marry girl who really seeks the limelight more than the love of or the young oung fellow tellow There have been many cases of that kindAs kind As a a. rule ball ballplayers players marry some girl with whom they have been brought up In the little home town It is seldom that divorce cases grow v out of that kind of marriage 1 These ThEBe foolish wives or sweethearts I who sit in the stand and yell ell out endearing endearing endearing en en- en- en dearing encouragement to their husbands husbands hus bus bands are genuine distraction They I not only embarrass the tho pla player er but often otten make It very uncomfortable for tor those about them in the stands You Tou can well Imagine the feelings of a player when he leav leaves leave's the bench to go to bat at a critical moment and suddenly hear a soprano voice from the stands scream out There goes my dearie deane I It is the real wholesome woman of ot good hard common sense who helps the ball player to success Often Often Of Of- ten they have been my very helpful allies in getting a player to Improve his work or to take care of himself On one occasion there was a a. pitcher who suffered f many defeats through r lack of control OI arlis Ills His wife went e with I him on the spring training trip He knew his failing falling but did not have havethe havethe havethe the patience to correct I it t. t His wife wire knowing what was required took charge of ot him during his off arc hours and insisted upon him putting in so much practise in the court back of the hotel SUCCESS IN BASEBALL DEPENDS ON HOME LIFE There was no escape Any time he felt lazy she was right on the Job Much of ot that m mans man's ns n's later latet success was due to that wonderful wife As a rule I do not approve wives accompanying their baseball husbands on the road trips They seem to distract distract distract dis dis- dis- dis tract his attention Again a lot of f wives when thrown together in such close association are bound to talk and gossip over what they have herd heard While they mean no harm the husbands hus hue bands are often worried d over this They learn of ot things about other players that otherwise would not have interested them For that reason I think it a bad practise to have havea a number of wives travel with a team On the other hand I have insisted on certain players taking their wives with them Some harum young fellows can be controlled by nobody but their wives I had one very excellent pIa player er who would not keep leep In condition unless his wife was around to look after him He would woul be like a young boy out of school running loose He would drink play cards late at night and lose Interest in his work One year he wrote me me for tor the transportation to the training camp I wired back that I would send transportation transportation transportation trans trans- for tor two Privately I wrote the wife that It was important to the club that she come along She did and the youn fellow tellow had a good year ear earI I have received dozens of questions to be bo answered on this subject but nobody Is going to trap me Into saying saying say say- ing whether I think a ball player should be married or single It If I said that they ought t not to get married every kid on the club would Immediately Immediately Im Inn- mediately begin thinking about that girl Then I would get some lively letters from some of ot th the wives I fear tear CoP Copyright light 1923 in U U. S. S and Canada by the he Christy Walsh Syndicate |