The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-04-21
Seasoning a Ball Player.

1T takes practically two years for the
average ball player TO gecome a fixture
in major league company" remarks Bill
Coughlin of the DetrOits. There is. Of
course, the usua. exception, the brilliant
star, who makes good from the start, but
it's mighty rare.
looks fast in practice, he bats well and
has a grand throwing arm. In fact, he
often shows UP the regulars in all the
practice. He can bat, field and run bases
better. perhaps.
But when the season opens and the
race starts to tighten, it's different He
gets on the bases and doesn't know what
to do It's only a fraction of a second
probably. but he is lost. He fields all
right, but he gets the ball and for a
second doesn't know where to throw it.
He's lost as soon as he hesitates for while
he stops to think the base runner is
strealxing hOmeward.
IF he sticks through the first year ne
gets over that fairly well, but the whole
second year is spent in seasoning him
more.
1T takes two years on the firing line to
temper the average ball player before he
is fit for major league company"
Another One on WaddelI.
Howard Wilson tie "speedIess pitcher"
who played in Washington a couple If
years ago, is in the watch and clock bust
ness with his father in Philadelphia. and
one day young Jack Knight, the Phiiadel-
phia high school boy, who was then
member Of the Athletics. thought he
needed a watch. and decided that the
shop kept by the Wilson's was a good
Place to buy one, so he asked Rube Wad-
dell TO accompany him and act as a sort
of referee in the matter. The yivacious
Waddell was willing 10 go along, and
v hen they reached the establishment of
the Wilson's, Howard made himself agree
able by showing all his most interesting
wares
A peculiar-loolxing clock happened TO
catch WaddelPs eye, and he asked some
question about il. THAT clock" explain
cd Wilson, will run three years without
winding"
Great Scott" exclaimed Wadden.
Three years without winding How
long would it. run If you We're to wind
it?''
Sam Thompson's First Pay.
Big Sam Thompson, who got back into
the game for short time last summer.
but who in former years. when a MEM
Der OF the famous big four" was a
crackaJack player and a sluEger of high
degree, was green country hoy, work
ing at his trade Of carpenter, in little
Indiana town, when he was signed by
the manager OF the Indianapolis team.
which was then in the National league.
Sans wages as carpenter were $50
day, and at the end of his first two
weeks play with the Indianapolis club
his terrific batting and clever fielding
had won for him so great a reputation
that mis- manager decided to give him as
much salary as any man on the team.
Ball players salaries In those days were
modest compared with what they are
now, yet to Thompson the amount of
money passed to him by the manager
seemed so immense that he could not
believe it was anything but some kind of
q joke that was being PLAYED on him.
Finally, when he was convinced that the
money was really his, 1t is claimed that
he turned to the manager and said, at
the same time holding the wealth in his
horny hand:
''See here. Cap; I'd rather be paid by
the week or month; for I'm afraid If
you meke me take the whole seasons
salary this way, I'm liable to lose some
of it"