Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 135, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 June 1914 — PLAYERS ARE SUPERSTITIOUS [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

PLAYERS ARE SUPERSTITIOUS

Men In Ranks and Many Managers Have Their Little Peculiarities— Dislike Bcore Board. Frank Chance, manager of the New York Yankees, is considered the most superstitious leader in the major leagues. The worst thing he can conceive is to see the score board during a game. If he accidentally sees the score luck is sure to change. He has had scoreboards in two parks moved so that he could not see them from his bench. . , Clark Griffith, manager of the Washington Americans, is Bald to be the least superstitious of the managers, yet if he dreams that a pitcher is batr ted hard that pitcher is kept out of the game for a few days. He says he isn’t superstitious, but he can’t afford to take chances. Jimmie Sheckard, formerly with the Chicago Cubß, but this year manager of the Cleveland American association team, is a believer in signs and omens. He always goes to bat in -a certain way. The same holds true of his manner of walking to and from the club house before and after a game. Most every .ball player is superstitious about barrels and hay. A load of empty barrels is good luck, a load of barrels filled with anything Is unlucky, a load of loose hay is lucky, and a load of baled hay is unlucky. The worst luck in the world follows the sight of a cross-eyed person,

according to the ball playera. However, this “jinx” may be broken by spitting In your hat Immediately. In procuring bat boys to-cany the dubs from the Jiome plate back to the bench and to keep them neatly piled, in order, baseball managers aa a rule pick opt the wont looking youth to be found. He la retained aa long as things go well, but when the time arrives that the team hits a slump another homely ’boy is taken on.

Manager Frank Chance.