Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-07-15

How Some of the Veterans OF
the Diamond ''Br0ke"
Into the Game.
BY REVERE RODGERS.

That there Is time and tide In all men .
lives which when taken at its full flows on
ward to success Is a mixim, and a pecu-
liarly fitting one. where ball players are
concerned. And those lannon's players who
embraced the opportunity when 1t presented
itself have never once regretted the step
they have taken. Sam Thompson. one OF
the greatest ball players the world ever
produced. broke into the game through an
accidental opportunity that came about in
this manner: He was a carpenter in Dan
vile, Ind, and In his leizure moments
played on the local team. One day the
famous Indianapolis club OF the National
League blew into Danville, having arranged
previously to play an of date there. The
Danville club lined up on the field. but It
was soon noticed that 1t was shy one
man. This proved to be Thompson, the
greatest player in that section.
AS the park was crowded and the In
dianapolis manager wanted the admission
money he held hurried consultation with
tho Danville magnate, and the result was
that they drove down the road mile or
so to where Thompson was busily engaged
in shingling house.
When asked to quit work and play in the
game that afternoon Sam claimed that he
could not afford to lose the $50 that he
would receive for continuing at his labor.
The Indianapolis man offered him IS to
play and Sam just fell OF that ladder, he
was so eager to get into the game.
He hit the ball all over the lot that even
ing and 1t was his terrific batting that
caused Danville to beat indianapolis. The
manager Of the Indianapolis club signed
him before he left the grounds at salary
of $50 month. and when they put Sam
in his first game at Philadelphia he made
two home runs in succession. He after
ward played with Detroit and Philadelphia,
and was a slugger. year in and year out.
1t was by the merest accident that tho
famous Cy Young got into the base ball
business. He was working on his fathers
farm at Gilmore, Ohio. and was regular
"Rube," and looked it, when he and lot
Of country boys, arrayed in rustic jeans
attended the county fair at Gilmore, where
two semi professional teams were to give
an exhibition of how base ball should be
played.
as a desperate resource, they put Cy In to
pitch, and his appearance in regular hay
making costume created no end OF amuse-
ment. But not hit was made of of his
cannon-ball delivery. and the manager OF
the Canton, Ohio. club. who happened to be
present, signed the big fellow then and
there.
The first game he pitched for Canton
was against McKeesport, and he struck
out eighteen men, and shut the team out.
not allowing 1t single hit.
Cleveland heard of him. and on August
5, 1890. they signed Young. and on the
Chicago. The Only suit they had vacant
was one that would about fit Willie Keller
but Cy got into 1t in some manner though
his appearance was SO grotesque when he
appeared on the field that the Chicago
players were convulsed with merriment.
They did not laugh last in this case, for
when the contest was over Cleveland had
beaten Chicago to /. OF the men who
played In that game only three are now
in major league society. and these are Kit
tredge, Davis of the Giants and Young
himself.
George Browne of the New Yorks, one OF
the best OF natural ball players, got his
chance through the influence of Tom KeI,-
her, now a business man In Georgetown,
but for years one of the crack ball tossers
of this city. Keiher who was a George
town star. and about the finest allaround
player l ever saw outside of the major
league, received an offer from Ted Sullivan.
who was then manager of the Norfolk club
of the Virginia State League. to report to
his team. Keliher was willing to GO but
his father objected to the move, and so
Tom sent George Browne in his place, and
Browne made good from the jump.
X II
Tom McCreery of Louisville, New York,
Pittsburg and Brooklyn fame. who is now
playing star game with indianapolis,
proved to be the hugest surprise that ever
broke into base ball. McCreery was one
of the kind of lads who are reared under
what Kipling calls the sheltered home"
system. He. was a student and never
troubled with the gang" and up to the
age of eighteen do not honestly believe
that Tom ever played a match game OF ball
in his life. He was page In the Capitol
But when he arrived at the age of eigh-
teen or nineteen he suddenly developed
regular mania for base ball, and he was in
those days about the most awkward young
chap I ever remember OF seeing perform.
But Mac kept pegging away and deyel-
oped into a first-class pitcher for the Y. M.
c.. A. team, and from this association he
went to Georgetown University, where he
made good in the box. From Georgetown
he went 90 Norfolk and made such great
record as second baseman and q slugger
that Louisville, then In the National
League. signed him to play the second sack.
and during his first season with that club
he hit .345.
Pittsburg gave 200 for Elm the follow
ing year, and since that time McCreery has
done creditabie work right along: but he
WIN always remain In my mind - being tbs