Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-08-26
BY REVERE RODGERS.


while a bail player, holding down job
in the major league or one filing position
In some fast minor organization has an
easy time Of It, yet there have been periods
in these mems lives which caused them to
think on more than one occasion that play
ing ball for a livelihood was anything but
an alluring proposition.
The Chattanooga team of the early JOS
which at the time was in the Southern
League and under the management of the
genial Ned Robe had an experience that
will always live in the memories of the
players.
The Southern League teams in those
times had a tendency to bow up the DAY
after the Fourth of July, leaving the play
ers stranded away from home and genera
" dead broke" as the patronage down in
the sunny south used to be so tickle that IL
was ali a lottery how much of his salary
a ball tosser would receive, providing ne
received ar.
one wear in particular business had been
abnmiuable and the Chattanooga ouflC
found themselves on the 9TH or July WIN
not dime, and their credit away peioW
par After a hasty. consultation they de-
cided to make for the Virginia State
League, which just then was In hourlsh-
ing condition. There was no way OF get.
ting into Virginia except by walking, put
the question that bothered the boys mosuS
was the one that regarded eating.
They had about $50 worth OF 1ewelry
among them for which benevolent gentle
man recklessly gave them SfoO' ana WIN
this muniiicent sum the stranded payers
turned their faces northWdlu' d1i" 81
out for Virginia
When they had walked as far as Knox
vile all their money had been spent save
half a dollar and when they tried TO speha
this il was found to contain q neat p-"9
OF lead. ,.r.
On turning into a side street the payers
came to halt in front of large hal' the
outside of which was plaCarded with farln5
bills stating that Andy Bowen. at that 'tihe
the champion ligAtwe!Sht7ot the c9uit[S;
would give so to any nan who would s1aha
before him four rounds.
Now Marty Mctiuc. who afterward pay
ed sensational ball for Louisville and Brook,
lyn was a clever amateur boxer, ana
known as such throughout the New Eng
land states, and as that atri Looked IKE hNS
millions to himself and his brother bali
players 1t took but little urging to cause
Marty to take chance at the famous
Bowen. ,.
AS ANDY was a southern product. having
been born and reared in New dreams you
night when the bout came off. And Marty
STAYED the limit though considerably ual-
tered at the finish. He said afterward that
he felt as if he were hshtihg lor MS Ale
ana simply couldn't lose
The nifty that Marty so pluckily won car
ried the stranded players into virginia
where big-hearted Jake Wells. then pTesl-
dent of that league, gave the boys soou
berths.
X
Ollie Pickering who is at present playing
the game of his life for Columbus In the
American Association, but who couple
of years back was a star out-felder and
SEQ batter for both Cleveland and Philadei-
phia, certainly had some trying experiences
when he started out to play professional
ball.
Ollie who halls from small town in the
state of Indiana, received letter from
Manager McCloskey, then running the
Houston, Tex. team. telling him to report
q day or so before the opening of the sea-
BON at Houston. Houston, Tex, is LOO
miles from chickering's home. and Pick
kad three weeks in which to get there, and
n 80 TO get there with. But the boy WASH
feazed a little bit at the proposition. His
Baggage consisted of the clothes he had on
his back, and any old train he could get
free ride on was his means of transporta-
tion.
The bumpers, the rods beneath the cars,
or the running boards on the roof, looked
ali alike to Ollie and he had chances at
'em all But when he arrived in Houston
the morning that the league was TO open
he was a horrible sight. His feet were TAX
Ing a peep at the scenery through the holes
In his brogans. His clothes were In rags
and held together by ropes. wispS Of straw
and his long hair and unshaven vlsage
completed picture that the comic cartoon
lists would have been delighted to sketch.
But he was a cheerful soul and had no
sooner landed than he dug for the pal
park. McCloskey and group of ms play