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Show CLUB RULES NO BENEFIT Restriction of Habits Reflection on Manliness Manli-ness of Players (By Christy Maihev. son. Star Pitch'-of Pitch'-of the New York Ciants Certain clubs within the last three or four seasons have attempted to restrict re-strict the habits of their players by in rcrting anti-booze and antl-cigan tte clauses in the contracts and making the use of either liquor or eigarettes subject to a fine It's an old theory of some managers that "Hps that touch liquor or cigarettes shall never moisten a spltball for me." Now. it strikes me that such sweeping sweep-ing restrictions are of little benefit either ei-ther to the club owners or the players. play-ers. It smacks too much of the police system and acta as a sort of flaunting challenge to the players all season. Whenever they desire a smoke they have to sneak off and sift the smoke out from behind tholr hands the way I haV( obs rved some women doing I In hotel dining rooms and cafes w here they arc not permitted to smoke when tbe head waiter Is looking It is a inch thai these clauses do not prevent pre-vent smoking or drinking, but they force the player to "sneak" a g'.-is of beer or a smoke if he wants It. Such clauses reflect on the Intelli- gence and manliness of the ball players play-ers of today, to my mind, because there are few in the game at present w ho need any censorship of their habits. hab-its. They are the samo methods as adopted for a lot of schoolboys and It is not taken for granted by the persons per-sons making thes? conditions that they apply to grown men playing ball for their living. In the more acute cases, of which there are very few iu the big leagues at present, such contracts may be all right although I have honest doubts as to whether they are of any value The system of giving giv-ing the errati player a bonus at the end of the season for good behavior ts much more satisfactory, I think Without With-out mentioning any names, 1 will say tltt wh?n a man wants a drink and it Is his habli lie generally pris the ammunition Hall players who are bad actors'" remain "bad actors' in spite of all the anti-booze clauses in the world l'he idea of having a man sign a pledge and then expect htm to take it out and look at it every time he feels thirsty cr wants a smoke Is not much good |