The Spanish Fork press. [volume] (Spanish Fork, Utah) 1902-current, 1907-09-19
PANIC UNEARTHS
A GREAT PLAYER
HOW FIELDER JONES, CAPTAIN
OF WHITE sox, BROKE INTO
PROFESSIONAL GAME.
A CIVIL ENGINEER AT TIME


Threw Him Out of a Job--Led
Eastern League In Batting Four
Years Later.
One big panic cost the world an
able civil engineer; this same panic
gave base ball one of its showiest ex.
ponents. In the year 1891 young
Pennsylvania. with transit, plumb
line and other equipment of his pro-
fession, was surveying the dreary
wastes of British Columbia.
Expenses were small and salary lib.
eral. and the Quaker saw prospects of
a fortune, as the field seemed unlim-
tied. Then came the turbulent finan-
cial depression of that year.
Capitalists withdrew their support
from various enterprises in that coun.
try, and one day the young Pennsyl-
vanian found himself minus job and
thousands of miles away from home.
Something had to be done. The
young man had an athletic build, so
he did what most husky chaps do
when everything else fails-play base
ball.
This young chap was Fielder Jones,
the manager and center fielder of the
White Sox, and had not the panic
taken place he might now be merely
the greatest engineer in the world, In.
stead of the field marshal of the
worlds champions.
After the Canadian bubble burst,
Jones returned to his home at Single
House, Potter county, Pennsylvania.
In 1892 and 1898 he was playing base
ball sporadically with small teams.
He had learned the game while stu.
dent at Alfred university, one of the
smaller institutions of learning in New
York state.
IF Penn, Yale, Princeton, and the
big colleges copied after little Alfred"
said Jones, with smile, there would
be no controversies about the eligibili.
ty. of players and charges of profes.
sionalism.
How did Alfred manage It? Why,
1t merely confined all sports exclus-
lively to its student body. Students of
Alfred could play among themselves,
but Alfred, with lofty scorn, declined
to send team against any other In.
stitution."
Jones went in a little stronger for
base ball in 1894, when he played on
the Corning and Hornellsville semi
professional teams. Virtually his first
real experience began with the Spring.
field, Mass. team of the Eastern
league in the next year.
From that period on Jones stand.
ing in base ball was secure. He
showed uncommonly strong batting
form, and at the end of the season led
the Eastern league clubbers with
percentage of 1893. This performances
attracted widespread attention and
clubs eagerly sought Jones services
Brooklyn made the best proposition to
the Springfield management and
Jones, therefore, was drafted by the
Dodgers.
He proved the find of 1906, having
swat credit of 1856 to show for his first
year in fast company, and virtually
his second year in professional base
ball
Jones continued to be a Brooklyn
idol until 1900, when Owner Comis
keys gold lured him to Chicago. Jones
never regretted the move; neither did
Comiskey. The only protest came
from Brooklyn, who did not want to
part with star silently.
In 1903 Jones got the chance for
which he had long waited. Owner
Comiskey let Clarke Griffith. his man
ager, go to New York. and he pro
NOTED Jones to the position of man
ager. In the three years he has held
the management reins the Sox have
not finished below third place.
In 1904 they landed in third place;
In 1905 they finished notch higher,
and last year they won the pennant
and worlds championship. This sea
son the team is again championship
contender, although 1t has lately met
with slump.