Clipping:The Athletics adopt vocal coaching

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Date Wednesday, June 8, 1887
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The Athletic players during the past week introduced the system of noisy coaching here and succeeded in thoroughly disgusting the better portion of the attendants at the Athletic games. The local papers have been unsparing in condemnation of the innovation, and the North American very concisely sums up the local sentiment when it says:--”Vocal coaching should be done away with altogether. It si simply disgusting to be compelled to listen to the howling of a couple of deep-lunged, loud-voiced players for the greater part of an afternoon. Besides, nearly all the legitimate coaching necessary could be done by signs.” This hits the nail on the head. If the present system is not materially modified and the big-mouthed and stentorian-voiced brayers are not summarily squelched, it will be necessary to prohibit coaching altogether. Indeed, the “no coaching” system has already been tried in several cities and has caught on immensely wherever tried, the audiences manifesting their pleasure in every way possible. And what is somewhat surprising is that the games played under the new deal were full of life, comparatively free of errors, and with base-stealing above the average. It will not do to assert that coaching is without its pleasant features, or that its advocates are found entirely on the “bleaching boards” or among the hoodlums, for some of the most earnest advocates of coaching, amusing or offensive, are found among the really respectable element in constant attendance upon base ball games. But it is safe to assert that coaching, in the extreme to which it has been carried of late, is a repellant instead of an attractive feature of the game, and has lost more dollars to club treasuries than were over attracted to them by coaching, good, bad or indifferent. And it is also safe to assert, because fully demonstrated, that the game can be played without coaching, and be as attractive, exciting and scientific as with it—that is, coaching as practiced now. … silent coaching, a complete code of signals, will serve every purpose and go a great way toward elevating the game. The “no-coaching” plan should be given fair trial. It is an innovation, to be sure, but one which should be adopted as a standard rule.

Source Sporting Life
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Submitted by Richard Hershberger
Origin Initial Hershberger Clippings

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