The Washington herald., 1907-07-28
BY JAMES McALEER,
ST. Louis American Manager.

ly, the twenty-odd personal applicants l
have had could not show me anything
that would justify me in giving them even
u trial In the lot there was not one
ffth-rate ball player.
AS for letters, ] cannot consider them.
It's ball players. not polite letter writers.
that I want. All I can say is that if a
young man can show me that he is a
pitcher he can get more money from me
than from any one else in the world. Es-
pecially is this true Of a left-hander.
will make a good left-hander get rich
quick.
If you think you have the material Of
good American League pitcher in yOu
come out TO practice. I VIII put O'Con-
nor 90 catch you. After Stone, Wallace,
and Yeager have had a few cracks at the
ball and I have seen you pitch, I win
consult with these experienced players.
If they, or If I, say that you are a
pitcher. you will get Job at more money
per month than a railroad president or
Cabinet officer do not care who you
are. God-fearing or hereto, old or young,
handsome or unhandsomet agreeable or
disagreeable, if you can pitch or play
ball, the money is yours.
Letter writing or personal application
will not do any good unless you can
show me. Put your goods on the coun-
ter. II I ike them ! viii pay more for
them than any other man IN the mar
ket.
Is the knack OF playing baseball like
Falstaffs virtue, not extant?
Are there no young men in America
who can play ball?
Is the national game, the great na-
uonal game, the game whose infinite su-
periority over cricket and lacrosse We
have 50 long been b0asting without
worthy eNpOnents2
Must the great American game die for
lack Of men 10 properly play II?
Is the art Of playing baseball, ike that
Of hardening copper. lost?
Did the ancieuts OF the '7Gs and SOS
know more about baseball than we
moderns of the twentieth century do
not?
So we must deduct from the present
scarcity Of baseball players Of merit and
class. Two baseball clubs in 81. Louis
are dying for lack Of men 10 play ball
Two great commercial enterprises. as
wel as sporting ventures. are threatened
with extinction for lack Of men 10 carry
them along.
Browns Give IL Up.
For men, there is nothing but money.
President Hedges, Of the Browns, saws
that he is so weary of being unable 10
hire competent help that he is willing TO
retire from baseball where he cannot get
good men for s. a DAY, and go back to
buggy making. where he can obtain com
petent mechanics at $3.50 a day. Mr.
Robson is also weary OF the work Of
trying TO hire young men TO work three
hours q day for SO an hour. He may 90
back 10 sureet-car enterprises, where you
can get al the men you want for 20
cents an hour
What's the matter with the American
young man? Jobs at s. a day for twelve
hours hard work have plenty Of seek
eTs- Jobs at $50 day for three hours
work cannot find competent filters
Surely something must be radically
wrong with such state Of society.
The 'hurrah" writer's. the red. white
and blue babies, the ''Star-Spangled
Banner boys, the "this great and glo-
rious country fellows are wont 10 tell
us that the American young man can do
anything, that nothing Is beyond his en-
Jerprise. He can dig canals and build
railroads, carry the flag and write books
and operas and whip the world. &c. sc
Yes, yes. All these things are pifiing
He cannot play base
ball
"What"' cry the "hurrah boys" "Wbv.
the American boy would rather play
baseball than eat"'
Let it go at that. The American bow
may prefer baseball TO gasrronomv. hut
ne cannot make as good at it. That. AT
least IS what baseball experts. authori-
ties and managers say. He can get out
IN the bleachers. criticise and throw pop
bottles and abuse players and question
plays and belittie managers and think he
can play ball. But
Put him out there in a uniform and he
cannot keep from getting himself killed.
Vow! bawl the success" writer's
This is a young mans age. Nothing
70 II but the young man. The young man
IN commerce In the professions, in pol-
tics. The Yong MANI
All this proves nothing and does moth
ing but give the aforesaid Young Man q
bad case of the swelled head.
Young Men failures.
The Young Man may be a social. com
mercial. and political success. but base
ball is a young mans game, and he IS a
failure at it. Yes. messieurs les writer's of
How TO Achieve Success" (bv servile
mitaton), the American Young Man is n
rank failure at his own game. the nation
al game, the young mans own game
baseball, the pastime of the Eagle.
Jack O'Connor, the veteran catcher OF
the Browns, has returned from trip
looking for young men who can play ball
I do not know what Is the matter
says O'Connor. "All the ball playing in
the world seems to have left it. I have
seen the best minor leaguers in the coun- /
-ry play. The best Of them are men we
proved could not play bali in the big
leagues.
"Old-timers We saw go down and out
With us years ago are the best men in /
he Western Association. Beckley. Sug- /
len, Burke, and others deemed passe in /
he big leagues stand out among the
minors Ike white mules in coal dumps
THE art Of playing the game seems to I
nave been lost. Why, years ago when /
We wanted player. all we had to do was 4
70 go out on the lots of St. Louis and /
pick him up. Cy Young, Bill Joyce. !
George Davis, Breitenstein, Tebeau, Peitz. /
myself, and hundreds of others walked /
rom the lots to the big leagues. Il hap /
7ened every day.
Now you cannot find a good 'pigtaT I
)n the lots. And in the minor leagues I
hey are not much better I do not know
what has become Of baseball skill"
Positions Go Begging.
There you arel An unlimited number
# pleasant positions going Begging at