The Washington times., 1905-07-09

VI tne famous Al1ai1aS, IS a poet, Il poker
player. and a philosopher. He's writin'
the history of the Corndroppers League
in verse, but it won't be out very soon,
for he only writes a verse a week, and
he can get more out of bobtail flush
than any man l know. He can bank the
money ball in the corner pocket nine
times out OF nine, and en- match pen
MES with the man that runs the mint.
When he loses game he don't go up
In the air and release some one, but
realizes that there's another day coming,
and when it arrives he's there on the
job That's his philosophy.
Johnny McGraw, the manager O the
New Yorks, goes around hollerin' at the
empires, an gets fired off the field and
fined bunch o money. So does Joe
Kelley. Josh Hapgood never opens his
mouth on ball field except to tell one
o us players to do somethin foxy. Ned
Hanlon an Clark Griffith are touted as
very clever people. but they can't seem
to keep their teams out o last place.
Josh Hapgood never had last place
team in his life. Players that won't
work for these burrahing, smash-bank
managers will work for Josh, because
he joshes them, as you might say,
though that amt meant as q joke And
he's got a hard Job out here in the
Corndroppers. AS he used to say:
Players Come Easy.
Them managers in the big leagues
don't have DO trouble gettin' good play
ers, for the good material is tryin' to
get to them all the time. Ali they've got
to do Is to pick it out AS soon as
man makes a name for himself in lit
the league they snatch him up. It's just
like woman gettin' a new hired girl.
fresh from the other side. an breakin'
her In. AS soon as she's worth havin'
the woman way up in society on the
next block offers her more wages an
gets her-an' the first woman's got her
developin' work to do all over again.
Josh Hapgood certainly knows bali
player. Why, he could tell one in the
dark. We were goin' to Hayville to
play a game one time an were shy q
man-our center fielder an extra pitch
er had been pinched for spoilin' Alfalfa's s
best saloon the night before--an' we
came to sunburnt young feller in blue
oyeralls an big straw hat plowfn in
a field near the road
Hold on Josh says to the driver.
That feiler can play ball. Let the
asked the young feller his name.
Hiram Hawkins says the farmer,
reinin' in his horses.
Ever play ball any?" says Josh.
.-Only one old cat an such, when I was
a boy" says Hiram. That's quite
spell ago. Amt got no time fer bali
playin' when wheat's 80 cents bushel."
''Shucks, you amt says Josh. ''Pll
put you where you can make the price
o. ten bushels o. wheat an hour. You'll
do. You amt got no bad habits to
break from. Get in here an play center
field fer us at HayvilIe this afternoon"
Star Center Fielder
And Josh made him do it, too. an he
played center field that day in a way
that'd make Roy Thomas an Seymour
an Beaumont an a lot more o. them
stars run for the water keg. Why, he
covered an acre O. ground, caught drives
goin' out an comm in-they all looked
alike-backed up throws to second as
though he'd never been off ball field in
his life except for meals, an batted in
half our runs. In a month he was the
talk O. the league. an now he's got a
good job tendfn' bar in the biggest sa-
loon in Hayville. He'd never got that
KNOWN a ball player when he seen one.
Lots O. other times Josh showed his
good eye, but I think he showed off
greatest the time we played the Clover
dales the openin' game one season. when
Pinch Hobbs was first maxim his great
name as a shortstop. You know Josh
an made him the wonder that he is.
In
would give any man a reputation for
life
The Maizehursts had never fggered
very strong In the Corndroppers. gen
orally bein' about sixth, but this year
their manager had somethin' up his
sleeve. an we found out what 1t was
in front O big crowd at Maizehurst at
that very first game. They had mes
merizer on their team-a hyD-no-tist.
Reggie Van Rensselaer, said he was,
though you couldn't believe him. He
gave it out he'd been through college
till we found out what a pitcher he was.
No man could a learned the curves he
knew at college.
Yes, they had the same old stuff O.
a ketcher, an the same bunch o. stiff
armed pitchers. an the same dopey old
first baseman-all the same nine but
their shortstop. And he was the mes
merist. When I went up to bat first
against Corny Duff, who had only
slow out an no control of that. felt a
pair o gimlet eyes borin' through the
peak O. my cap. I looked up. caught
that shortstop's eyes, an 1t was all off
just stood there an looked straight
ahead like a feller at a crossin on a
rainy day. while Duff slung three
straight ones over the plate They had
to push me out OF the way to make room
for the next man up. SO completely was
! under the infooence.
All Famed Out.
But it was the same right through the
game. Our batters'd just stand there an
wave their bats an grin. while that
Teller waved his glove an caught their
eye, an then they'd fan out one, two,
three Josh Hapgood got there from
sountin' the gate receipts in the sixth,
an near had a hemorrhage when they
told him I'd struck out three times
You're released" he says, snappin'
Z out like he always did when he got
excited. 'tGit back to the pine-needIe
deestrict you come from an git a job
slingin' pancakes to a gang o. lumber