The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-04-05
JOE CAN'T ENDURE RIDICULE.
ANNOUNCES HIS INTENTION TO RE-
TIRE FROM THE OLA
MOND.
New Champi Onship Contest Proposed
Rebellion of Players Worry
ing Magnates.

49, LCASAA, app II 4lC OlOW
which knocked Corbett out and in ten
seconds put the heavyweight pugilistic
championship Of the world into other
hands may be more farreaching in it's
effect than would appear at first
thought. For instance it would be
strange if that left handed hook blow
also indirectly knocked the Baltimore
club out of the next base ball cham
pionship. Yet it is not an improba-
bility. Jim Corbett's brother Joe is one
Of the Baltimore clubs pitchers. 1t is
/ we'll known that Manager Hanlon puts
great dependence on young Corbett's
| newly developed skill at pitching to
help the Orioles win the fourth success
sive pennant. 1t is an even chance that
his usefulness on the ball field was de-
strOyed by his brothers defeat in the
ring.
Joe Corbett promised to go direct
from Carson City after March IL to
Macon and join his club at practice.
| For two days before the fight he be-
came so nervous that he could sleep
very little. On the day of the fight the
strain Of excitement was so great that
he was refused as a second by his
cried as if his heart was broken, and
instead of going to Macon to join his
team he left with his brother for San
Francisco. An Eastern sporting editor
reminded him, as he was taking the
train for Frisco, of his promise to re
port in Macon Immediately. Where
upon he replied: why should / go
there? I shall never play another game
Of professional ball" His friends tried
to laugh him OFT of that determination,
but he replied: 1T is not said without
careful consideration. They'd run me
off the diamond. The fellows on the
bleachers wouldn't do thing to me be-
caue 1 am the brother of jim"
And he went to San Francisco. 1t Is
probable that he will not stick to his
promise to retire. But his character
istic summing up of the case is not ex-
aggerated. He has anticipated what
will surely occur. When he pitched
against the New Yorks at the Polo
grounds, last September, his brother
jim was a spectator in the grand
stand. AS Joyce went to bat
"bleacherite" yelled so loudly that all
heard him: knock him out, Scrappy!
F1LZ Will co DIS UluCu lOI HIS DIOluGI
That was just a foretaste of what is
in store for ice if he tries to play ball
for the Baltimores this year. Re-
| minders Of Jim's fall will be hurled az
him in all sorts of phrases. The root
ers will be awake nights inventing a
new taunt to use when Joe pitches.
Even the players will work him in
undertones loud enough to reach his
ears. The batsman will mutter, Watch
me give that curve a body blow under
the heart" or something Of that kind
sure to make Joe lose his head.
His nature Is of that excitable kind
that is sure to break down under such
chatting, and a pitcher who can be
ratified" is no longer useful. There
is but one way in which he may es-
cape that fate-tO use Killen's inven-
ton. Killen's one weakness is his hot
temper and lack of control of himself.
It came to pass a few years ago that
coachers drove him out of the box by
their taunts almost every time he
entered it. One day he caused general
surprise by going in and doing his
work under a cross fire of badinage
from Tebeau and O'Connor (past grad
yates of the arD with all the GOODNESS
of a nerveleSs man. Greatly did the
saw him take something out of one ear
as he went in to the bench and listen
eu to what Beckley said to him. The
truth suddenly dawned upon the minds
Of the Cleveland men. Killen went In
TO that game with both ears rammed
full of cotton, and pro tempore he
was as deaf as a mute. The cotton
plan was used by Killen constantly
thereafter when he pitched against the
Teams which pestered him. Joe Cor
bett might try the cotton plan, but
even then the players would remind
him by pantomime of Jims misfortune
Somebody has proposed a new con-
test for the end of the championship
season. 1 believe it originated among
the Cincinnati players in their practice
camp at New Orleans. One Of Ewings
men expressed the belief that the Min
neapolis team Of 1896, champion Of the
| Western league, was stronger than the
Louisvilles, the National leagues tail
ender." On this issue the Cincinnati
players were nearly evenly divided.
Finally some one of them suggested
that a series of games each October be-
tween the twelfth club in the National
league race and the champions of the
Western league would be very attrac-
tive. 1t certainly would be interest
ing from a professional standpoint, but
would not pay expenses. The follow
ers of the BOBBY team of the big league
are never interested in October over
any question of its superiority to any
thing else in as much as it is superior
to nothing in it's own association.
The recent rebellion Of Corcoran
Miller and Clarke against terms offered
by their respective clubs begins to
make the magnates more anxious than
ever over the outcome in the Rusie
case. The signs of the times do not
indicate that the big stars are devoted
to the reserve rule for the games sake,
but rather because Of it's hitherto iron
clutch. If Rusie's release should be
ordered by the federal court at Tren-
ton and any National league club
should sign him. there would be d
heavy uprising against the reserve rule
within a year. 1t is hardly possible
however. that a final decision will be
reached in this cause celebre until late
next fall. Meanwhile it may never
come to a judgment in court The
best interests of the game at large de-
mand that it should not, without re-
gard to which side would win
AS anticipated, wonderful news
comes from the training grounds of
every club which has teams at work.
There isn't, according to preliminary
accounts sent home, poor player in
the entire outfit now at practice Even
the old man of Lake Michigan, after
luXuriating at Hot Springs, has broken
his long winter silence and what he
says has fuzz ell over it, What? Yes.
sir! Arson has a sure thing on the
pennant this year. and he says so with
a faith that ought to sprout a BAY
tree from a beechnut The same es-
snece of spring pervades the souls Of
Hanlon, Stallings, Joyce and Selee,
| While other cIubS need but fau dovs