Perth Amboy evening news., 1906-10-25
HOW JENNINGS BROKE
into BASEBALL.

"I look to see Hugh Jennings at
Detroit make a fine showing in base
ball next season." said the we'll
known former crack player and man
ager, John G. Chapman. He is a
great boy. Detroit did well to select
him to my way of thinking, and in
Detroit Jennings is in a fine ball
town. Jennings is a very ambitious
young a He is the son of a miner
of Moosic, Pa, which is six miles
from Scranton. / happened to be in
Philadelphia one day, and while read
ing one of the Philadelphia papers my
eye struck the name of a young catch
err named Jennings, who was catching
at that time for the Lehighton club.
The score had 1t that he had some
fifteen put outs and made four hits,
and l read the summary of the score.
Home run-Jennings.' So / re-
marked to Charley Mason, one of the
owners of the Athletic club for
got to mention was managing the
Louisville club at that time-that
this young Jennings looked pretty good
to me. He is a good man, Jack,
said Charley. So / wired Jennings an
offer of $175 per month to join the
club and directed him to wire his an
swer to Boston, as that was our next
stopping place. When | reached Bos-
ton found out that my offer was &C
cepted, so | wired Jennings to meet
us at Louisville, as we would jump
dtrnof1x Prom nncfnn IN II nnicui11n
"Well, when we reached Louisville
there was Jennings. My, but he was
a green youngsster, but l liked his
looks and felt confident he would
achieve success. | intended to try
him behind the bat, as Jack Ryan
had been hurt and | would have put
the youngster in to take his place,
but Jack came around all right.
However, one day our first baseman,
Harry Taylor, now the president of
the Eastern league, got hurt, and I
said to Jennings: Young man, you
will have to go in and play first base
for us today
e Dear me, mister he said. I
can't play first base. l never played
first base in all my life.'
well, you just go in and do the
best you can. We have no one else
to try in your place.
"'All right was his reply. I'll go
in and do the best l can, and he
made a decided success. How he did
gather them in and dig them out of
the dirt, and it was not the last time
he played the bag, either. Well, some
time afterward our shortstop, a
young man named Cahill, was I'M
able to play, and again I was obliged
to have cou to Jennings.
Jennings said 1 to him, you
will have to try your hand at short
stop today. Cahill is hurt and there
is no one else to try in the place."
"'But, mister said he, 4 never
played that position in my life
"'Never mid that l retorted, 'go
In and do the best you can
"All right, mister was the an
swer.
"Well, he went in and put up a
great game. He went after every
thing. He covered the ground in
grand shape and had the spectators
agape by his work. He wasn't afraid
of errors, and he made a great hit.
At the end of the season / said:
"'Jennigs, | want to sign you to
play for me next season. What sal
airy do you think you ought to have?'
az do not know said he. III
leave that to you"
elbow will $1,40O strike you?' l
said to him.
"'That will do very nice,' was the
reply.
80 I sat down and made out a
contract for $1,750. Now, jennings
/ said to him, Just glance over that
contract and see il it reads all right
So he took the contract in his hands
and began to scan it, and when he
came to the figures he said, why, Mr..
Chapman, this calls for $1,75O.'
"I know it, young man; that Is
what l intend for you to have
"'Mr. Chapman said he, III try
very hard to work for you for this.
And he did. You probably know the
remainder of his career, how he was
chosen to go to the Baltimore Ma
tional league club and how he figured
so extensively in the three cham
pionships that were won by that club,
how he was asked to coach the Cor
nell club team and what a success he
made in that capacity and thereby Sc
cured the opportunity to educate him
self and went through the Cornell law
school with credit to himself and was
afterwards admitted to the Baltimore
bar, and last year hung out his shln-
gle in that city. When he was young
er and first started out in the game
he was eager to secure an education'
and went to a commercial college In
his own town. Jennings is OF the
stuff that makes good. He made good
as manager of the Eastern league,
and Mr.. Hanlon will find out what he
lost after he has gone. Jennings just
kent that club in the race.
Jennings knows the game in all
it's angles. He knows how to handle
men and how to get the work out of