The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-09-16
ODD FRANKS OF GREAT
BASEBALL PLAYERS
Nit Artists Are Eccentrics and
Have Time to Cultivate
Their Eccentricities.

without their cranks, their good fellows
ana their eccentrics. In the following
article, taken from the Chicago Tribune,
played by major league baseball play
| ers.
Ball players mostly are eccentrics
Ihey nave enough spare time to cul-
tlVate eccentricities, and it is cinch
that IL Satan 6nds some evil thing for
idle hands TO do he is kept overworked
thinking up employment for the gnarled
and twisted fingers of professional ball
| players,
Take eighteen or twenty strong. vul-
carly healthy athletes, with three
| hours work day and twenty-one for
rest and recreation, and something is
| likely to come Off at any minute, espe-
| cially as most of them act like yearlings
| and feel finer n fddlcs most Of the sea
| son.
Practical joking is garfield to the
| funny.
J. Ryan, the boy wonder, pulled of
one on T. Donohue in Kansas City one
| spring. Tim had played in Kansas City
| the year before and was popular, so all
| during the spring training trip in the
Southwest Tim was pluming himself for
triumph when the team played on the
Kaw
1t happened that on the first after
noon at Kansas City Tim got bad
start, and thu crowd, which loved him
because it could guy him, started in
TO have fun at his expense, and finally
Anson, getting mad, chased Tim out of
the game, while the crowd roared.
Tim s heart was broken. He never
could realize that after such an expert
ence he was more popular than ever.
To add TO his troubles Ryan got tele-
| graph blank and wrote;
| ''T. Donohue, Coates house, Kansas
City: II you cannot keep from disturb
ing the harmony of tho club, you are
hereby notified OF your release.
"JAMES A. HART.'
Tim was furious He accused Arson
of reporting him TO Hart and was wait
ing downstairs with the avowed inten-
tion of whipping Arson when he ap-
peared. Luckily Anse had gone out, and
after a time Tim said:
81 II take him up and go to Boston.
| Selee wants me-
Thcreupon he sent telegram which
read;
Crank Selee, Manager Boston Club,
Macon, Ga: Can secure unconditional
release. What terms do you offerG
ct. DONOHUE."
Ryan managed TO stop the telegram,
and after waiting couple of hours
sent Tim another one, which read:
ct. Donohue, Chicago Ball Club.
Kansas City, Mo-; Can't use you. Un-
derstand you are trouble maker,
"F. SELEE, -
1t was we'll that Anson did not appear
just then-and also it is lucky that
Ryan was not around when Tim dis
| covered the truth the next morning.
Arson himself was the victim OF a
huge joke in 1898. and one that cost
him dear. Cap always objected 10 hav-
| ing his men play the races, and at the
time Griffith, Bill Dahlen, Bill Everett,
George Decker and some of the others
were plunging on the ponies and study
ing the done at all hours of the day
and night,
Ansop reproved and expostulated, and
one afternoon over in the clubhouse
he remarked:
off you fellows are stuck on throw,
ing away your monev. bet it with me
and wen keep it all in the family,
III give you post odds and take all
the bets you want to make. don 7
| know anything about racing, but /
might as we'll have your money as the
bookmakers.
The press box then was down in the
front of the grand stand, and early in
the game BuIlhead Dahlen came slip
ping along and whispered up to me:
"Say, find out who won the fourth at
Brighton and drop note out;
Naturally, | supposed Bill had lit
tie bet on hand and was anxious, so
over tho wire / discovered the winner
for him. and glaDcing at the note |
tossed out he ambled TO the bench.
Every afternoon after that Dal, or
Lnnge, or Grif would request iuforma-
ton and get it, and after IL had been
fumbled to the joke. They were find
ing out who won the races and then
making bets with Cap on tho bench.
Even that failed to convince Cap
that they could beat the races.
The spring that Elmer Foster joined
the Chicago club he got started at his
true gait by pulling off monumental
joke on Anson. Foster was in New
York, with orders TO report at Louis
vile, and when the Chicago club
reached the Falls City in the morning a
telegram was waiting for Anson, which
q Am just leaving Pennsylvania sta.
ton in Jersey City. In fine shape. Arm
good. Will hit $50 sure Report to-
morrow. FOSTER. "
Old Captain Was Pleased
Anson was pleased He showed the
telegram around among the boys and
predicted big things for Foster, besides
having the collect charges without a
| 'N''NS
another telegram;
Philadelphia, Pa.-Have reached
here in safety, Feeling fine. Had a
bully dinner on train. Reach Louis.
Vile tomorrow. FOSTER,
Anse paid the charges little du.
biously, and a few hours late received
another telegram, collect. which said:
FHave reached Washington in fine
condition. Change to b. G. O.. here
Train on time. Have n lower berth
so will be in fine shape, FOSTER.
By that time Cap was wild with in
dignation and suspected that he had a
crazy man coming to join the team
His suspicious grew when he received
another collect message
Cumberland, Md.-Got up early
: Am enjoying the beautiful mountain
scenery, Have just eaten breakfast.
.FOSTER. "
Auson raved for time and then re
ceived another telegram, this time from
| Oakland, Md.