The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-12-03

heir to Bill and thought that no would \,
compelled to play with them At their neures
BIZ demurred. whom his contract reached him
anu returned i with request that the sum
dollars. The Wagners said nay and IN print
"a interviews predicted that the 81. Louisan
wouio snow up In the spring The blk fellow
, was not ~, oiuHns and he not only failed to
Gus schmelz In this city that fall. notified
the Washington manager that no would stay
oTs q the game rather than accept the salary
The Wagners wisely concluded that thew
needed BITS services and Fixed his salary at
the sum he demanded. He reported the next
o Pri tbs aao was Senator until the middle
Sew York. The Giants finished strong Under
nas amusement that year and Joyce became
s Andr a, iavorise with Andy Freedman that
81 the campaign. In 1898 things went wrong
from the time the teams training season
began and the Giants were among the ALSO
rans. joyce was turned down as the clubs
manager and Arson appointed In his stead.
ins Cnicago clubs old commander coon lost
out with Freedman and the team was again
lntrusted to Joyce Bill did as well as he
not receive Freedmau's check for $1,000 or any
other sum in 1898 as n token OF admiration
ana AND appreciation Of his managerial ability.
returned It without his signature Endorsed
III not stand a cut" That was the last
communication that has passed between him
ana MS former employer And in all prob
ability that unsigned document is the last
baseball contract which will ever contain the
namo OF Billie Joyce.
scrappy." as he is known the country
over attracted attention In 1854 when he uas
a member of the champion Houston team Of
ne Texas League. managed by John j. Me-
Cioskey. Bill was the third basemap of
tnat aggregation until sherry the regular
second baseman. was forced to retire through
an accident, when Bill moved over to that
bag. Patsy Faherty. who was then a catcher
succeeded Joyce. Al the close of that sea-
son McCloskey sold Joyce, Catcher Ryan
ana Cuthcder Arthur Sunday TO the Toledo
clup OF the American Association for s25Ou
me league d!sbanded about August TO-
When MeClosiey notified the three OF the
deal. SAID Flaherty, his handed each of them
a 500 bill. There was no Kick from any OF
them guess they didn't swell around for
awhile, showing the centuries to the rest OF
the gang. saw Sundays about as long and
as often as he did, for he kept II only for
few minutes before breaking 1t and beginning
TO SEPARATE himself from the fves and tens
he received in return for It.
Joyce came back to Texas that fall and we
played against the Comiskey tourists. who
were en- route to California. Pat Tebeau was
IN the party. He was surprised at the inn
provement in Joyce's playing and he. Comis-
Key and others began to remark that Bill was
good enough for fast company. When John
Ward was casting about for third base
man for his Brooklyn Brotherhood team
thSy tppeu Dill OH 10 MIN, How that fellow
could bat and run bases in those days, and
what whip he had!~ Sunday also went to
the Brooklyn club
when Joyce was on the Houston club he
cultivated the acquaintance Of the business
men in that and other cities Of the Texas cir
cult successful ball player is always popu-
lar and Joyce was the star of the league. The
good and he was always getting presents Of
more or less value. | think that the first
diamond pin he ever owned was testimonial
from the business men of Houston. He had
the sense to pass up the cheap-screws and
cultivate the men with money and standing
And he has followed that rule all his life
The other day oConnor and l saw him on
guy Bits with, Jack Q asked Don't know
him, but I'll bet a hundred be amt dead
one. If he was, Joyce wouldn't be with
him I recalled his Houston experience and
wouldn't have laid 81 to Jacks 500 on that
proposition. for it was a c!nch that he was
right"