The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-03-20

plays that were little short Of impossible
Only few days ago Manager William Barnie,
of the Baltimore club, told me that he wit
messed several of the worlds championship
games, and that in all his baseball experience
(which dates back to 1915, he had never seen
Wards work egualed. l have frequently
been asked why it was that Ward, if he bs so
great player, made so poor q showing in the
first half Of the season My answer is that it
was due to sickness and worry, superinduced
by certain domestic troubles For fear of
being misunderstood, want to say that those
troubles merely concerned the apparently I'M
comfortable desire of his wife to resume her
career as an actress
Few persons know definitely just how old
Ward is. 1 do not, but am not far off in
placing it at SO, although his baseball age is
given as IS He has been professional ball
player since 1871 and has played ten full
seasons in the National league. In 1877 he
played with fou- different teams, the Ath-
letics, Philadelphias, Janesvilles and Buffalos
In 1878 he was with the Binghamtons, 1878
50 he was with Providence, where, as pitcher,
he made reputation in that position second
to no one. When the club won the champion
ship in 1879 Ward was its only pitcher. In
1888 he joined the New Yorks, where he has
since remained. In 1884 his skill as a pitcher
waned and be became, first an outfelder and
then a short stop. He was captain of the
team in 1SS6-S7 and showed a remarkable
aptitude for the position, in spite Of adverse
circumstances.
As a captain he was often harshly criti-
cised, but do not consider that he made a
failure. Hedidn't win the pennant, it is true,
but Arson has failed of that three times
and Irwin has yet to take the flag to Phila-
4 delphia- Yet no one would call either man a
Y failure. Internal discussions and iealousies
which were beyond Wards control were Sc
we're handicaps to his success and resulted in
his resignation.
Il is in his intellectual and social qualities
that Mr. Ward stands out in such marked
contrast to his fellows. I do not mean by
this to imply that he is the best educated, for
! could name several who are his equals in
this respect, but in ability to use what he
knows to advantage no leads them all. 1t is
greatly to Wards credit that this is true be-
cause, save in the law in which he graduated
at Yale, his knowledge Is self taught. He
acquired it by laboriouS study, and informa-
ton thus obtained is ready for use when
wanted You might meet Ward and con-
verse with him for hours and not know he
was ball player unless the subject was
preached. He is a clever converSationaliSt
and one of the most charming of companions.
There are not many ball players who can
sustain an interesting conversation on any
subject not Of a sporting character. Mr..
Ward can converse intelligently and fuently
on any topic and is a remarkably well read
man. He also possesses the gift of writing
quite as well as he talks. His book on base
ball; his printed controversies with Professor
Proctor and others on the antiquity and his
tory of the game, and the scientific problems
involved in the work of pitching; his ability
as the leader of the Ball Players brother
hood. and lately his remarkable letters from
abroad, all prove him to be possessed of those
qualities which make the successful journal
ist-
Mr.. Ward has made great deal Of money
in baseball, and being O man Of careful
habits and much shrewdness. has, III spite Of
the fact that he is a good liver and gener
o,ls companion, saved large portion of his
earnings. His book, his newspaper work
and some good investments have added
largely to his income, and he is today in
comparatively independent circumstances.
Whether he plays this year at Washington,
Boston or New York his salary viii not be
much less than 5000, and if the deal with
Washington is consumated the New York
club viii receive S12, 900 for his services, the
largest sum of money ever paid for the re-
lease of ball player. Wards name is
household word wherever baseball is known,
and in New York his personal popularity ex-
ceeds that of any player in the country.
In his dealings with his fellow men Ward