The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-04-07
"WATTY" COMING TODAY.
His Pittsburgers Will Try to Play Ball
with the HOOsiers.

Much against their WILL the members of
the Cleveland team were compelled to leave
town without a game here, but their dis
appointment is shared by many of the local
fans, who would have liked to see the team
In action.
Ex-Manager Watkins will invade the city
to-day with his Pittsburg .snokehouse
crowd, and will. If the wea Their man allows
play three games here. His visit will be in
the nature Of a reception by the local
craaks.
Many persons have wondered why the
local club will go to the great expense of
developing new players and refer to the
small army Of pitchers now here for trial.
The Indianapolis club has learned by ex-
perience that diamonds are dug up from
the most discouraging looking clay, SO to
speak, and as a business proposition it costs
less to try out big bunch of candidates
than to draft a man, as that means cash
down payment of bonus to the club which
developed him, besides an increased salary
to the player. One case in point is sig
nificant from an indianapolis standpoint.
few years ago when Billy" Sh8rSlg was
chief of the Hoosier team sam thompson,
the veteran outfielder of the Philadelphia
club, came down from Lebanon leading
green overgrown youngster by the hand and
asking trial for him. Crude material was
L
Thompson he gave the boy the sempiance
of trial after first overawing him with
contemptuouS glance. The youngster was
naturally wild and half para1yzed WIN
stage fright, though he possessed world
of speed. Sharsig, without more ado, turned
him loose and he went to the Virginia
League Before two months had gone by
he was bought by the Philadelphia clup
is Ortiz Thus Indianapolis lost a marvel
when it sorely needed one because one
mans judgment was bad In contra as
tinction to this can be mentioned the pro-
Louisvilles About eleven years ago star
ford came from farm to Hartford, Conn,
and applied to Connie Mack, then the man
ager of that club, for place as a pltcher:
there might be a chance to make some,
thing out of him with an experienced
catcher like himself to coach hlI1- Ii ms
first league game he went against the Dan
bury team, with when Danny 1ohIoe We, maS
playing and the result was awful In those
days a base on balls was charged as an
error against the pitcher, ana StaIIoru IndnS
fourteen of them, and the croWd wondered
WHY Mack didn't send him back TO pllcn-
ing hay instead of baseballs. But CONNIE
k1ew his business and worked with. Stat
ford to such good purpose that DeIoIs 9
month had gone by Stanord was aoLnitieu
ali over the circuit to be hard proposition
to solve, and since that Tune ne mas @ nma,
therefore, in working out his talent goes
not propose to encounter any more Ortn
incidents. and says thai # out or all the
lot of pitchers he has III hand y tbe og Moneys 0ev
really good man Is developed Ine HiolieJ
will he considered well spent
THE latest arrival to SVEN the rdllhs "
the pitching corps is Frank Forena5L oA
last years team, who arrived I.om . BALI
more Yesterday noon. He reports inhISolI
in fine condition ana capaple VI pi'0is
:, cOOd hall as ever.