The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-04-22
6ZDIE E ! !
1l4lRBI|:T'lRA1T9tRytSU
II! j.. ], By TIN MURs7N>lAkNE2S< 80
By TIN MURNA.-

sional players, who met for the first
time in years and were delighted to
accept invitations sent them by the
club.
oldtimers Out.
Among the number I met Arthur
Cummings, the inventor Of curve pitch
ing, now in the decorating business at
Athol, Mass; Harry Stovey, zone of the
most famous all-around players of his
time, now police officer at New Bed
ford, Mass; Morgan Murphy, famous
catcher and the cleverest man in the
business to discover the signals of his
opponents. now running hotel at Prov
idence; Thomas Bond. Harry Schafer,
John F. Morrill,, Billy Haws, Jim Cud-
worth, the famous left-hander; Big
Mike Sullivan of New York and Wash
ington, now successful lawyer of Bos-
ton; Duke Farrell, now a hotel proprie-
tor at Marlborough; Charley Buffng-
ton, coal dealer of Fall River, one OF
the greatest pitchers of all time;
George Wright, now a successful Bos-
ton business man, who was in his days
more to the game than Larry Lajoie
and Hans Wagner are to the sport at
the present time. III
All tn ,se cx-players and several
others gathered in a group in the grand
stand, brought back memories of some
fine sport to the veteran fans who came
to the game from all over New Eng
land. perhaps to look once more on their
idols of old. The presence of the old
PLAYERS of good standing at ball game
is like favorite sauce on one IS broi1ed
steak For few but the good fellows are
ever heard of after they quit the bust
| ness; every one of the above mentioned
! players are prospecting in business with
one exception, and stand high in the
community where they have camped for
life. '
More Boost for Ban.
Another instance Of playing the win
ming note came off at the opening game
at New York when John NJ. Ward was
selected to open the game by tossing
the first ball to the umpire. John NJ.
Ward comes very near being the one
man. ever connected with the sport de-
serving monument by the profession
al bal1player. He stands out as con-
spicuously as a full-rigged ship among
canal boats when friends of the bali
| players are mentioned, as those who
fought with him will testify. =.
John NJ Ward. tho now one of the
New York busy lawyers. is ever ready
to take up the cause of a balIplayer
His mind and heart are ever with the
profession that he did so much to eIe-
vate. and when Frank Farrell induced
this brainy. aggressive ex-ball player to
take the place usually filed bv some
state or city official, he acted wisely
and made tenstrike for the American
league in New York, where Mr.. Ward is
4 still a popular idol of the lovers of
baseball. -..
I doubt if any opening ever sur
passed the one in Boston this season,
when the circumstances are considered.
1t was the first opening in this city,
| other than holiday, coming on Tues
day, with the holiday, coming on Thurs
day and yet $4,000 people attended, ae-
tual count, and no estimated count, as
We find given in most cities around the
circuit.
This was a splendid compliment to
! the sport, for the Boston team had
! started with two defeats at New York
and was not showing the aggressive
quality necessary to winner, and con-
tinued the same style of play at the
opening game. losing the third straight
by one run and forcing the record of
last season to be flung once more to
the breeze, forty games lost by one
run.
This one-run victory generally. shows
the quality of a team about as much as
any other one phase. Good base-run-
i ming usually pulls off the. close score
games where chances must be taken,
and the hitting is light.
In run-getting the Boston Americans
are weak, when not smuggling the ball,
and with the same makeup l look, for
i Boston to lose more than forty games
this season by one run. which would be
a remarkable record while playing l54
games. 1t fact, lrst-class club should
not lose that number of games, all told,
in one season. / am willing to be wrong
in nv prediction. but it goes. {.