Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1907-05-17
BASEBALL TALES
BY THE PLAYERS
BILL coueHLIN. cHAS. o'IEARV
AND HUGH JENNINGS re.
LATE GOOD ONES.
TWO YEARS TO TRAIN COLTS
Unless the Nounasssr Breaking Into
Fast Company ls an Exceptional
Star Ne Needs Long rsnpsrina--
When Rossman Dlsobeyed Orders
by Making a Home Run.

NRA@AANf@N
by Making a Home Run.
1t takes practically two years tol
the average bali player TO become a
tixture In major league company re-
marks Bin Coughlin. Of the DctroltS.
There Is. Of course. the usual excep-
ton. the brilliant star, who makes
good from the start. but It's mighty
rare.
The colt comes into the league, lie
looks fast in practice. he bats we'll
and has grand throwing arm In
fact, he often shows up the regulars
In all the practice. lie can bat. field.
and run bases better perhaps
But when the season opens and the
race starts 10 tighten, It's different.
He isn't the star he was picked To be-,
He gets on the bases and doesn't know
what TO do, It's only a fraction OF
second probably. hnt he IL lost, tie
fields all right, but he gets the bali
and for \ second doesn't know where
20 throw 1t. He's lost as soon as he
hesitates. for while he stops To think
the base runner II strcaking home
ward.
III he sticks through the arat year
he gets over that fairly well. but the
whole second year Il spent In seaaon
Ing him more.
1T takes two years on the firinR
line 10 temper the average ball play
er before he In 1T for major league
company"
Some one got to telling about how
John Anderson, then playing with 81
Louis, made his now famous attempt
70 steal second against Washington
when the bases were full. thereby
causing all three men To be thrown
out In one play,
Walter Rrodic pulled OF something
like that in Baltimore. only II wasn't
quite so bad" said Hughie jennings
but II was Just as funny. /
Walter had gotten his base on balls
and an argument started Ms to whether
the last ball was not q strike.
Walter saw his chance on hrst
while everybody was arguing and stole
second. He was all pulled np over IL.
The argument continued aud he de
cided To 20 down TO third. lie slid
in with mighty effort and then Rwoke
to the fact that there was runner
on third
Mike cantlllon tells n funny story
about claud RoRsmaE. says Herman
Schaefer IL was whom clAud was
batting around 400 for the Des Moines
club.
Herman Long gave him tho signal
to sacrifice. and Claud nodded hls
] head He hit the FIRST ball pitched
with n mighty swat for a home run
clearing the bases and winning the
game.
When he came In. with the crowd
! cheering. he was all smiles until be
met Long. Herman was swearing
mad. yelling half In English and hall
| In German
Didn't | tell you 10 sscrilceT he
] said. Why don't you follow Instruc.
tions7 I've a good mind 10 bench you
for awhile. I didn't tell yon 20 hin
home run"
And at that. Long was right" said
Rossman. when reminded Of the tuei
/ dent 4 should have obeyed orders. .
MY introduction 10 biz league base
ball wasn't a very happy affair" says
Charley o'Ieary. of the Tigers. The
first team I ever played on. outside
OF those around Chicago. was tha
White sox. and they took me 10 De
troll with them to play Sunday
game nearly quit right then and
there. II had might nov be q p0ii
tlclan In Chicago.
1T was in one Of those games ont
al Burns park We won By one run
and AS ve left the park the crowd
came al IN with beer bottles u was
/ the bottom of the bus for every body
and as vas the most scared ! Eui
there first. ! guess. AnTwaN. every
body else piled ON top of me. and ~
rode into town thai way.
Il was nearly smothered. They haa
| a hard time inducing me TO believe
that that was not an everyday occur
renee