Bryan morning eagle. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1898-1909, 1907-05-23
BASEBALL TALES
BY THE PLAYERS
BILL couoHLiN. cHAs. o'LEARY
AND HUGH JENNINGS re.
LATE GOOD ONES.
Unless the vovnsstsr Breaking Into
Fast Company 10 an Exceptional
Star Ne Needs Long Tsmpsrine--
When Rossmsn pIsobsysd Orders
by Making q Home Run.


1T takes practically two years for
the average ball player TO become
fixture In major league company" re-
marks Bin Coughlin. OF tho Detroits
There Is. OF course. the usual excep
ton. the brilliant star, who makes
good from the start. but It's, might:
rare.
The colt comes into the league. Hc
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 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 40 do. It's only fraction OF a
second probably. hut he IL lost. He
fields all right. but he gets the ball
and for a second doesn't know where
10 throw II. He's lost as soon as he
hesitates. for while he stops to think
the base runner Is streaking home
ward.
III he sticks through the first year
he gets over that fairly well. but the
whole second year Is spent In season
ing him more.
1T takes two years on the firing
line to temper the average ball play
er before he Is NJ for major league
company"
Some one got 10 telling about how
John Anderson. then playing with 81.
Louis. made his now famous attempt
to steal second against Washington
when the bases we're full. thereby
causing all three men to be thrown
out in one play.
Walter Brodie pulled on 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 as 10 whether
the last ball was not a strike.
Walter saw his chance ON first
while everybody was arguing and stole
second. He was III pulled up over H.
The argument continued and he de-
cided to 40 down to third. Tie slid
In with mighty effort and then awoke
to the fact that there was a runner
on third"
Mike Cantillon tells a funny story
about Claud Rossman." says Herman
Schaefer. 1T was when Claud was
batting around 400 for the Dies Moines
club.
Herman Long gave him the signal
20 sacrifice. and Claud nodded his
head. He hit the FIRST ball pitched
with a 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 he
met Long. Herman was swearing
mad. yelling half In English and half
In German.
Didn't | tell you ,o sacrihce,' he
said. Why don't you follow instruc-
lions. I've good mind TO bench you
Tor awhile. didn't tell you to hit
\ home run"
And at that. Long was right said
Rossman. when reminded of the Incl !
lent. Il should have obeyed orders"
MY introduction to biz league base
ball wasn't a very happy AFFAIR" says
o'Leary. Of the Tigers. The |
irst team ] ever played on. outside
Il those around Chicago. was the
White Sox. and they took me to De-
roit with them 20 play Sunday
ramc. nearly quit right then and
here. II I had might nov be poll
ician In Chicago.
1T was la one of those games out !
Il burns park. We won by one run
md rs We left the park the crowd
anne at MS with beer bottles. II was
he bottom OF the nus for everybody.
md as { was the most scared ] got
here first. guess. Anyway. every.
'ody else piled on top OF me. and We
DDS ipto town that way.
"s wis nearly smothered. They had
! hard time inducing me 10 believe
hat that was not an everyday occur
ence"