Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 41, Number 76, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 June 1909 — ATTITUDE OF CLEVELAND PLAYERS WHILE AT BAT [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

ATTITUDE OF CLEVELAND PLAYERS WHILE AT BAT

Lajoie’s Men Have Many Peculiarities While Waiting for Pitcher to Deliver Ball. Ball players, like every one else, have their peculiarities. Did you ever notice how the Naps stand when they come to bat? Not a man but who has some little trick that would make him known to the fans even though they could not see his features. Lajoie draws a line between himself and the plate. Then if he misses a couple of pitched balls he whangs

the front of the plate vigorously with his bat and points the big end of the club at the pitcher. George Stovall always straddles his legs apart, hitches up his belt, pulls down the peak of his cap and gives his pants another hitch. The less success he has in batting the more frequent the pulling of pants and cap. Bill Bradley usually moves to the striking place slowly. When he arrives he carefully puts one foot well front and one well back. Then he stands with legs apart and holds his bat straight across the plate. When he swings at the ball his whole body moves, but his feet remain still. Jay Clarke always hustles to bat. He hits the plate, but not the same way Lajoie does. He taps it with little nervous jerks of the bat. If he misses a ball or two he waves his bat in front of the catcher in a little circle and hops around on one foot. “Big Bill” Hinchman walks to bat with much dignity. Bill holds his bat on his shoulder and makes no preliminary movements. When a ball comes along that he thinks he can hit he swings, and if he misses he swings at the next one. Bill has no characteristic attitudes.

Goode does nothing save try to hit. Bristol Lord pulls his cap down as though trying to hide his ears when he bats.

All the rest of the squad stand at the plate and try to hit. Harry Bay, when he was with Cleveland, was the fussiest man in the league. Bay would expend ten tons of energy on his cap and trousers and in preliminary swings. He had them all beat for being the busy bee.

Outfielder Goode.