Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1902-01-02
AMOS RUSlES FALL.

Rusie, perhaps the great sst baseball
pitcher that the game has produced,
was al the zenith OF his career. He
was the idol of New lork's million and
| more baseball cranks, and was one Of,
if not the most popular, hero in the
metropolis.
In Baltimore he was admired and
feared and detested by the tens of
thousands CT enthusiasts; all over
America his name was known, and
young America generally was undecided
as to whether it preferred to be the
President or the Great Rusie.
Today aH he works as common
laborer, digging bitches out in small
Indiana town, there is none so poor
to do him reverence.
| Then, and even since, Rusie was paid
a salary as large as many bank presi
dents get, simply for pitching a couple
OF hours every three for four days.
| To-day he is working hard, shoveling
dirt for 10 hours a day for the paltry
sum OF Sl.50 day, as was stated in
The Sun recently.
There was time when Rusie refused
a salary of 50, 400 for a seasons work
with an offer with big bonus il be
would refrain from dissipation. That
was less than six years ago. He refused
! to play for the whole season of 1896 for
that reason, and the following summer
the "magnates" of the National
League, that at that lime had no oppo.
sition, thought Rusie so important
that they got together and rad his
price for the former season, besides the
salary he asked for the season of 1907,
in order to get his services, so great d
drawing card was no
Last summer Rusie begged and PLEAD
with the Cincinnati club to give him a
chance at any salary, and for the first
time in his life Rusie worked lard and
faithfully to get himself 10 condition,
| but he failed disinally. The splendid
human machine had become worn out
| by misuse and abuse; the once steel
like muscles of mis- marvelously skilful
arm had become habby and had lost
their cunning; the power that could
ouce send baseball with most the
speed Of rifle bullet and make it curve
or break" as ne chose, had become
lost in the whirl OF pleasure in which
Rusie lived for years and which led to
his early downfall.
Fol- decade Rusie earned on an
average of something like SO, 600 a year.
This sum he received for pitching fewer
usually than so games Of ball or an
average Of more than $50 game, win
or lose. To pitcher with Rusie's com.
mand of the ball he pitched on average
of not many more than 100 balls to the
game. Thus the great twirler was paid
about 30 cents for every ball hs pitched
in every game throughout the season.
If he can secure steady work for 300
days out of year at his present oocu-
patton he will have earned $3.50. He
made more than that In month Of the
playing season In the old days. By
pitching eight games Of ball, or about
Ii hours work. ne made more than he
Gao now in whole year Of hard work.
10 hours day. In those old days
Rusie made more by retiring one batter
than he can now by digging for 10
weary hours.
Such has been the downfall Of one of
this greatest and most popular heroes of
the national game has produced Rusie
had a better opportunity to make money
and save small fortune than any one
OF dozens Of ball players who have had
the sense to avoid dissipation, keep
themselves in condition and least an
anchor to windward' against the time
| when they must stop playing ball.
Any number of such men could be
mentioned, and here 10 Baltimore there
are quite a number OF shining examples.
Men like Hanlon, MoGraw, Robinson,
! Clarke and others have made baseball
IA means OF making start and of
accommodating competence and are an
honor to their profession.
On the other hand there are great
many ball players that have chosen the
road trayerscd by the once invincibe
Rusie. The one-time Baltimore idol,
Curt WEIGH, was one OF such. Fhil
Ehret, once Pittsburg's crack pitcher,
is reported tc be tending bar for man
who at one time was a bartender for a
ire, place rugged up by Ehret. The list
could be added TO by the score.
Amos Rusie first became famous as a
member Of the celebrated Indianapolis
Blues, and the battery uf Rusie and
buckley was terror to opposing bats.
men. In 1880. when indianapolis was
succeeded by Cincinnati, Rusie, Buck
ley. Jack Glasscock, Jerry Denny and
others of the old Blues went TO New
York and Rusis's baseball work from
that time on was done in Gotham.
| lilo reached the zenith of his career
in 1894, when, with big "Duke''
Farrell to catch him and Meekn to
help him in the box, Rusie came near
robEing baltimore of it's tlrsv pennant
and later did defeat the Orioles easily
for the Temple cup, offered that year
for the first time. Baltimore was
beaten in four straight games two
here aud two in New York, Rusie and
Meekin pitching alternately. An i'm
mense throng saw the games, and after.
ward The Giants we're given benefits in
the theatres, showered with money and
presents and in all this Rusie was the
special hero.
lie the fall Of 1895 Rusie got into
row with the bartender at the Carroll.
ton and Owner Freedman of the New
York Club, fined Ruse 500 for the
escapade. It was that fire and a
difference as TO salary that kept Rusie
off the diamond in 1896. He had been
getting from So 000 to 81, 800. Freed.
man offered 81, 100, with bonus of
5000, if he kept from dissipation.
ln 1897 the other onhownprs at a
cost of So, OuO got Rusie back IN the
game and he pit 'hed fairly we'll for a
year or two bat he was never the same
ana his work rapidly grew poorer. New
York passed him up in 1900 and Oiu-
oinnatl gave tie veteran trial the
past season, but he proved a dismal
ailure.
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