Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-10-18

| JESSE BURKETr OF THE CLEvELANDs.
| HE Is a little fellow, but the ball is always as
big as 4 barn to him.
gates the official averages. which NAV not
be for several weeks. Until that time no
certainty can be arrived at because Mr.
Young has the only complete set of official
scores Of the major league in existence
But the unofficial figures put Jesse Burl<-
| cit OF Cleveland SO far ahead of all compct-
itors that he is almost certain to be the
| honored one.
| Burkctt is no taller and not so heavy as
| Duffy, but he is giant in speed, nerves
and solidity of muscle. This man is one
OF the good things which the New York
club once possessed and let go. He and
| kccler make il couple of cast offs which
cause the New York management much
| painful regret in these days when they
| have thousands of dollars to pay for the
release of a couple of good batsmen and
| can find none for sale
In 1890 when the Brotherhood waged
| its war on the National league the at
| tack was concentrated against New York.
| The Brotherhood leaders argued with
| much logic that could they rout the New
| York enemy the battle would be over But
| these tactics and sprung a surprise by
| transferring the best players of the Indi-
| annapolis club of 1889 to the metropolis
| Among them We're Rusie, Buckley, Den
| ny, Bassett and Glasscock Still they were
shy, and Glasscock recommended Jesse
Burkott, Il sort of protcge of his from his
native place, Wheeling, who was playing
at that time with the Worcester club of
Nnes,n1,1,Sott- Mint lI,,I = Lo
boy to New York as a pitcher. In that
capacity he was 'pio" for the other teams
and the club tried him in the outfield on
account of his batting; for he could hit
| the ball artistically even then. jesse had
no trouble distinguishing fly ball when
he saw one coming his way, but it was not
so easy to catch it. His fielding was heart
breaking / saw him lose IA fly ball near
the right field foul flag one day at the Polo
grounds-now Manhattan field-and there
he stood turning around in one spot like
skirt dancer. Somebody yelled, Fright
mt the foul flag, .Jcsse!' Tho effect was
magical jesse dropped on his knees,
pulled up the foul flag and began to dig in
the sandy soil with his hands like a terrier
after gopher He had completely lost his
presence of mind. 1t was the funniest
The New York club at the end of the
season east him adrift and he went to the
Lincoln club of the Western league Man
ager Tcbcau had his eye on Jesse, how
ever and took him to Cleveland The
country knows the rest. He learned to
field and didn't need learn to bat Now
the New York club would pay IS, 600 for
the release of this jewel which it threw
away in 1890.
Burkctt IS one of the large number of
players who have failed at pitching and
made their mark in another position
Tiernan and Van Haltren OF the New
Yorks, Smith of the Pittsburgs, Gleason
of the Baltimores and O'Ncil of the old St
Louis Browns are other examples of mis-
taken beginnings in the lives of baseball
players Few good pitchers ever excelled
as batsmen. Devlin, Stivetts, Ferguson
Of Philadelphia, Foutz, Caruthers, Ken
nedy and Taylor are exceptions. Yet two
of them have led the batting of the coun-
try-namely, Maui, in 1887, and Luby, in
1890. Maui is still pitcher in active en-
ployment.
Baseball has suffered a severe loss in the
death of Harry Wright. This notable man
was tie pioneer of the game. l believe he
in America. The Cincinnati club about
1866 engaged him under salary to manage
and play with its unsalaried nine. If there
was any regularly salaried baseball player
previous to that | am not aware Of it.
Harry Wright was about 60 years old
He was born in England in 1885 of Eng
lish parents, and though he was brought
to America when only year old and lived
4. Of. nrI h
his English lineage, even to his love for
roast beef. His father was notable cricket
player and his boys grew up with love
for the same sport. Harry and George, as
well as Wright perc, were skilled cricket
ers About the first considerable money
ever earned by Harry was his salary as
manager CT the st George Cricket club of
New York, just before the war Of the re-
bellion. The club finally fitted up grounds
in Hoboken Nearby We're the grounds of
the old knickerbocker Baseball club
There Harry learned to play baseball so
well that he partially abandoned cricket
for the game which afterward became ma
tional. In that at least he was not Eng
lish
As baseball got footing in New YORK.
after the civil war Harry Wright bccam,
closely identified with the sport and his
name was prominent on its rolls. But he
did not entirely give up cricket. 80 in
1865 tho Union Cricket club of Cincinnati,
a mos: powerful organization, took him
west - manage its team. While acting
In that capacity he was employed by the
Cincinnati Baseball club to manage and
pitch for its nine The Cincinnatis and
Buckeyes were LEGAL rivals and their par
tisan gamcs lead to'tiic formation Of the
celebrated Red Stockings. The two clubs
fought it to a finish in 1865. Harry