The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1898-08-28
AL SELBACH TALKS.
Defines What He BeIiey to BE the
Duty of a Player to His CIub

hHtS Oh ~ Pfuyer to His Club
Al Setback, whoais now on the hospital
list, has ample time at his disposal to
talk baseball, and as it is a theme in
which he delights he is always an inter
esting subject for the interviewer. Speak
ing to Times representative, he said:
II first acquired a fondness for ball
playing around the lots about Columbus.
Ohio where 1 spent all my idle time in
learning the fine points of the game. OF
course, the knowledge / received was of
the kindergarten kind, yet in a mechan
zeal way 1t was of great benefit to me in
after years l was always devoted to the
game. and was never so happy as when 1
was with winning nine.
The scrappiest games of ball l have
ever participated in were those played
upon the open lots. when a disputed play
generally ended in a fight that resulted
in bloody noses.
II finally succeeded in establishing a To-
cal reputation and was given a chance
upon semi-Drofessional club where
acquitted myself fairly we'll I admit that
L was stuck on myself and that the
baseball bee was buzzing in my bonnet.
and / imagined that I was fitted for a
more extended field of usefulness. NV
chest expansion kept pace with my aspi-
rauons and my assumption of being the
real thing brought me into public notice
Finally Gus Schmelz, who was then man
aging the Chattanooga team of the South
ern League. and had been keeping a quiet
tab on my playing, came to me and offer
ed me place on his team, which, II is
needless to say, l readily accented II
was the realization of my dream to get
into the game professionally, and the SAL
airy OF $40 per month, which was dazzling
to kid who had always PLAYED for finn
and glory, was a secondary considera
ton.
Schmelz had got together a fast
lol OF youngsters, and under his careful
and painstaking management we soon
took prominent place in the race. There
were several members of that team who
made regulations as ball players in the
major league, notably Dan Daub pitcher.
VINO has been doing good work for Brook
lyn. Charley Abbey. who played three
seasons with Washington, was another of
our stars.
While with Schmelz PLAYED the
catchers position and my work averaged
up with that of any catcher in the Iearue
eN'4N L was lOultQ ny tle 1anS and
press as a phenom, which makes me
smile now as l look back to those hannv
old days. / did, however, distinguish nv
self upon a certain occasion and CON
tributed towards winning the pennant for
our club. We were tied for first place
with Birmingham and were scheduled to
play a game with that club on their own
grounds, which would decide the cham
pionship. When ithec game was called
flora 81
ton to play. Schmelz was simply frantic
with rage and disappointment. with no
relief in sight. | finally went to him and
said: Let me pitch, 1Gus; l can throw
these fellows down. know | can Like
drowning manEcatching at a straw.
Schmelz accepted otheg situation and put
me in. won my game easy; they
couldn't hit me a little bit Gus's smile
would have reached from Atlanta to the
sea, as it gave hiss clubIthe championship
when Schmelz assumed the manage
ment of the Washington club l was signed
as a backstop and frepoTted with the team
here in the Spring of 1884. 1 did not play
that position, however but was put in
left field for the reason that no seasoned
left fielder had been secured have been
playing along in that garden ever since
with what success the public knows
MY debut in the big league was
1TduSDI with uOuDlS anu uncertainties as
to the consequences that might follow. /
had been told that the gauntlet that all
minor leaguers had to run was very try
ing upon the nerves; that the old stagers
were merciless in the preparation of
practical jokes and that many victim
had gone to his berth on a Fell River
steamer upon a hot night incased in an
armor of life saving cork and perspired
the night away in expectation of sudden
quiet and slept with one eye open and
was always distrustful of any marked
attention from my comrades. OF course
/ did not entirely escape, and the laugh
was frequently upon me.
During my connection with the Wash
ington Club 1 have been treated with
marked kindness by. the owners, press
and public, and l have not kick COM
ing. I can honestly and sincerely say