The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-11-14
THE BRoDIE DEAL.
What the Roanoke People Think of His
Trnnsfe Ernm Rnltimora


was much concerned yesterday regarding
the transfer of Walter 5. Brodie, the
nimble center fielder of the champion
Baltimores, to Pittsburg, in exchange for
Stencil, Horton, O'Ercn and TRULY, of
the latter team. OF course it made but
little difference to the people of the Magic
City that Third Baseman William Don
nelly was thrown in for good measure,
nor did they object to Hanlon's acquiring
about one fourth of the Smoky City ag-
gregation of ball talent; but to man,
they registered a protest against Balti-
! more for trading Brodie to any club for
any man or set of men, This is Walters
home and it would be impossible to con.
vince the people of Roanoke that the
game knows his superior us Il guardian of
the middle garden. Many of our citizens
have PLAYED on the same team with him
and many more have seen him pitted
against our own team or else battling for
the championship in the great National
League, where only first class men can
hold their own, and in all of these con-
tests old Roanoke Brodie has shown
that he has no peer. He is Il winning
player in every sense of the word and can
tuIn every trick in legitimate baseball
that has made Arson, of the Chicagos,
famous, yet he is us easy to manage rs
any drafted yOungster who is doing his
first year i'll the big league. Always in
condition anu ever ready to do his best
for his team, Brodie has perhaps partici-
pated i'll more games than any other
player during the length of time that he
has been in the major league. l5rodie
comes from II family of ballplayers us all
of his brothers were good players in their
boyhood and one of them still plays the
game professionally, he too being well
known to Roanokers, having ut one time
been Il member of the local team. Dur.
ing the season of 1885 and 1856 Walter
Brodie was il member of the semiprofes-
sional team representing this city and
year later he started on his professional
career by joining the Altoona club. of the
Pennsylvania State League, where he
filled the position of catcher and out
fielder for two months when the league
disbanded and the entire Altoona team,
with their consent. was transferred to
Canton, Ohio, and became member of
the Tri-State League, Brodie playing in
left field lie finished the season of 1887
in Canton, his club ending with the high
est average in the league, though it had
played only part of the season. In 1888
he was signed by the Wheeling w Va,
club, of the Tri-State League. where he
also played in the outfeld. The follow.
u
Hamilton, Ontario, club, OF the Interna.
tional League. he participating in III
championship contests and ranking high
in the official fielding and batting aver
ages. The years lS90-'9l found him with
the Boston club OF the National League
In 1892, when the National League and
American Association were merged into
the National League and American \ $50
citation oi professional baseball clubs,
with IL membership of twelve of the lead
ing baseball cities, Brodic was assigned
to St Louis. In 1898 his release from ST
Louis was purchased by the Baltimore
club, with which he has played ever since
Brodic took part i'll every game with I3os-
ton in 1891 every game with st Louis in
1892 and until transferred in August
1893, and in every game with Baltimore
since that time. He has never in his
whole career missed Il game from sickness
or disability, nor has he ever been served
with il notice of release or been fined or
suspended for indifferent playing. Some
of the sporting editors, notably O. p
Cuylor of the New York Herald, have
contended that Brodie was IL hard man to
manage, but in this they were mistaken
as will be testified to by every manager
under whom he has played. He has,
however, ut times made it unpleasant for
the umpire, for, like 'Scrappy' Joyce, OF
the New York "Giants,n he believes in
making himself heard when he has rea-
son to think that the handler of the ind-
Gator is remiss in giving him what he be-
leves he is justly entitled to.
Ordinarily Brodie is Il heavy batter.
but he was unluclly in placing the ball
during the past season, though the oni-
cial averages give him II percentage of
29S, which is good stick work In field.
ing he was among the very top notchcrs
and this. too, Notwithstanding the fact
that he was far from well during many
OF the contests and nothing but his anX-
iety to have his club win kept him in
the game. When seen yesterday by
Times representative, Mr.. Brodic said he
had received no official notice that he had
been traded to Pittsburg, though of
course he had read the account in the
papers. He was unwilling 10 state his
position in the matter, but admitted that
he felt sore to lave been traded without
his consent. President Won der Horst
and Manager Hanlon, of the Baltimores,
are on close friendly terms with him and
he did not think they should have trans
ierrcd i'm without first CONSULTING him
Then too, said he, Baltimore is so near
TO my home that when my club was play
ing there could run down to Roanoke
and spend Sunday with my wife and
babies and | shall he deprived of that
pleasure ifssI am sent to pittsburg. How
ever shall keep myself i'll condition and
will do my best wherever play next sea-
son. The three years that Brodie has
been member of the Orioles they have
won the pcnnant, winding up with the
remarkable creditablc record by captur-
ing the "'l'cmplc'' cup in the last series
between Baltimore and Cleveland
Regarding the trade OF players the
Pittsburg Dispatch says:
1T is probably true that Erode is the