, 1891-05-24
THE boy WONDER.
w. 1. Harris Writes Enter
tainingly of Amos Rusie.
A TWENTY-YEAR-OLD PITCHER.

the First Place and He Has Done
Since He Has Been There-How He
Learned a Lesson.
The wonder OF the baseball world for the
early part of last year was Amos Rusie, the
twenty-year-old pitcher OF the New York
League club. The boy was finally over
worked and lost some in prestige, yet,
nevertheless, was looked upon as one of the
finds of the season. This year he is once
more with the New York club, and is un-
doubtedly the best early season pitcher
with proper coaching that any club has
upon its list, He is a ~strapping big fellow,
weighing a good deal over 200, and very
strong. Nothing would please him better
than to go in and pitch every day. He fire.
quently said last summer that he never
knew what it was to have a sore arm, and
he never claimed to nave one during the
season. He was brought up on a western
farm, where hard work made his muscles
strong and tough. His family a few years
ago moved into indianapolis.
Rusie played ball among the teams in
and around indianapolis in 1888 without
attracting much attention. He was then
seventeen years Did. One story is that
Harry Spence discovered him. The other
is that he presented himself at the grounds
and told Spence that he was a pitcher.
49, NF1A AA4A SaA SA AAN NAa BAA vi
the glove, and gave the boy a ball aud un-
dertook to catch a few. The youngster did
not get the ball over the plate, but Spence
realized that proper training would make
a pitcher of him; had him practice a few
days with the clubs catchers, and they all
held that II he ever got any command of
the ball he would be a wonder. His trouble
then was an almost utter inability to throw
the ball over the plate. but he improved
daily in this respect.
1t so happened that the Giants were due
in Hoosierdom a few days after Rusie's ad-
vent, aud Spence, expecting nothing better
than defeat, advertised all over town that
he had secured a great phenomenon in the
way Of a pitcher, and that he would put him
in against the New Yorks that day. The
result was that an unusual crowd attended
the game for indianapolis. Well, Rusie
was given a uniform, and walked out upon
the diamond witt great eclat. To the as
constituent of everybody this stalwart
youngster, although wild in sending a
great many men to base on balls, complete
ly mystitied the visitors with his speedy
delivery, and the New Yorks were beaten.
OF course Mr.. Brush, at that time president
of the club, got the boys promise to sign a
contract to play with the team. Later
Brush got his name to a contract at a very
small salary, which contract was renewed
WIN LNuhAG stulet- luhl was his lnLFOulC-
ton in baseball. Ofcourse he was ambitious
to goi in against the New Yorks again. He
was gratiied, and was driven from the box
with great slaughter. He pitched cousid-
cradle that fall, and the next year, 1889,
coached by Glasscock aud Buckley, he at
tracted much attention by his speed and
endurance.
When the break came and the Brother
hood succeeded in forming its league. Mr..
prTaha wwaa ma - .Ia - -
hustled after his players, He succeeded,
as is now a matter Of history, in signing
almost all Of them In the great deal be-
tween the League and the New York club
and Mr.. Brush, by which Mr.. Brush re-
ceiyed the sum OF S65 900 for his team aud
franchise, Rusie was transferred to the
New Workers, aud it was there during the
season Of 1890 that he made his first real
reputation.
Last winter Rusie, with the aid of his
father, was married to a very estimable
young lady. The laws of ndian require
that contracts made by minors must be ap-
proved by the parents, and so Rusie pere,
who is somewhat dwarfed beside Rusie
Ills, gave his gigantic son a signature
and his blessing. When the time came to
sign the young man for this season, his
papa, who is very fond of him, and proud
of him too, held out for the earth ms a sal.
airy. Finally Mr.. Brush, acting for the
New York club, signed him at a large, but
at the same time reasonable salary, | think,
for $500. His record this year with the
New York club has been, so far, not one of
unbroken victories, for he pitched the
opening game in New York and lost it
partly through an error of Judgment of his
own, but it has not been his fault that any
of the games after that first one have been
lost.
The young mans character and habits
are good although he is easily Influenced.
Since his marriage, however, the one in-
huence most continually brought to bear
upon him has been for the good. Rusie
is a broad shouldered and somewhat good
looking young man, but he is not hand
some like keefe or Clarkson, and is not
liable to attract the attention of the ladies'
by his beauty. Yet his splendid work in
the box always draws forth their keen ad-
miration and delight, and the volume of
cheers of the spectators is much increased
by the shrill plaudits of the lady fans"
There seems little fear that Rusie will
ever get to be a man who needs much
watching by managers. He received a les
son last year that will last him a long
time. When the New Yorks played in
Indianapolis, Rusie was anxious to show
his fellow citizens what great improve
ment he had made and why he was called
Colonel Rusie, the Boy Wonder" He
got permission to go ahead of the team, so
as to see his family and help advertise the
game by showing himself as really being
on hand.
1t was here that ''old man" Rusie, still a
young man at that, took his son in hand
and visited almost every resort in Indian
apolis. This is my boy, Amos, the great
est pitcher on EARTH" was the fathers
shout, and as everybody shouted more or
less, Rusie pere ct fills were both put to bed
in a g~loriously happy state. 1t didn't seem
to effect the boy much, but when he got
out into the hot sun and tried to pitch the
Clevelands simply %larrupped his delivery.
The boy, covered with modification, was
taken out of the game in short order. This
was a practical lesson, and Rusie has hard
ly been known to drink anything since, ex-
cept, perhaps, an occasional glass of lager.
He is the coming star, and is good for ten
years. Ten times $1,000 is $4,000. Rusie
will save some Of this surely.
w. !. HARRIS.
The worlds championship in s%cullinp