| OCR Text |
Show EDDIE CICOTTE, WHITE SOX PITCHER, DISPLAYS HIS SUPERSTITIOUS STREAK - - i-k-Jr- m ' :.. s j; , ; s (' u if r k fMH 1 ccorrz, ( k" J ( f'il Premier Pitcher of Superstition is a great little institution, institu-tion, especially as applied to baseball players. One could no more separate the average player from his belief in the uncanny world of magic than one could argue Buck Weaver out of a base hit. There is the case of Eddie Cicotte, for instance. After what has happened to this eminent em-inent shine ball and knuckle ball expert ex-pert this year ball players will be more securely intrenched In the beliefs that sway their activities and influence influ-ence the action of their managers, writes George S. Robbins In Chicago News. Cicotte Is Superstitious. "Eddie, I want you to pitch the first game of the year," said Kid Gleason, addressing Cicotte. "I'd rather not, boss," replied Cicotte, Ci-cotte, "Why not what's the argument?" asked the Kid. Then this famed flinger unfolded the most amazing story that the Kid had heard in many a day. Gleason, who doesn't believe in superstition, just had to listen to Eddie. "You see Kid, when I've pitched an opener I've had a rotten season," explained ex-plained the foxy Cicotte. "I appreciate appreci-ate the honor of being asked to hurl the first game and all that, but I don't care for the honor I want to win. When I've not pitched the opener I've won." Grants His Request. Gleason was reluctant to accede to this amazing request. The first impulse im-pulse of the scrappy leader would have been to give a ball player a nice little cuff, reminding him painfully of his indiscretion. Cicotte, however, stands ace high with the Kid and Gleason recalled that a game won the second day of the season was just as valuable in the team standing as one captured on opening day. "You win, Eddie!" replied this veteran vet-eran conditioner of athletes. That is why the preseason dope of Clcotte's pitching the opener all went awry. Williams hurled the first game and Eddie the second. Gleason was skeptical about the superstition business, busi-ness, but was eager to find out whether wheth-er Cicotte was working on a lucky hunch. Eventualities have proved that Eddie was laboring on a lucky tip. Victorious in 1917 Season. As the dope ran, Cicotte failed to pitch the opening game in 1917 and the world knows what happened. He lit erally sifted through the circuit with his mixed assortment of slab ware like a shell through a shack of straw. The preceding season Cicotte started the ball rolling in the American league for the Sox and he had a mediocre medi-ocre season. In 1918 Cicotte pitched the opener for former Manager Rowland. One's memory doesn't need to be refreshed to recall what happened last year. Cicotte Ci-cotte traveled fifty-one innings without with-out a run being scored behind his slabbing. slab-bing. It was counted among his unlucky un-lucky years. With a small portion of the 1919 season reeled off, Cicotte looks to be invincible on the hill. His delivery seems Identical with that of 1917, when he won the league flag for Chicago Chi-cago hands down. Cicotte today is the most feared pitcher in the American league just as he was in 1917 when he didn't pitch the first game for the Chicago Sox. |
