Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-10
REKEEIER.

mitt and tossed the ball to the pitcher.
Said I to Breen: Well, there is q white
headed kid who is the luckiest ball player
l ever saw. Everything just makes bee
line for his mitt.' l thought it an accident
that day. The next time Ashtabula and
Greenville met was at Jefferson before q
crowd Of about 10000 at the county fair.
Cotton played the same steady game.
Later we met in a thirteen-inning tie game
at Conneaut, and the real test came there.
I got on the coaching line at third base
and used every known means to rattle the
youngster. Timber up. kid said l. For
get your milk bottle and see how far over
first base you can throw the next one that
comes to you Cotton always shot the
ball tple and gave me the grin right along.
I couldn't rattle him. and that night, when
we got back to the hotel and were taking
our sparrow BATH I said to Breen: We'll,
there Is one ball player. I've tested him.
Nothing to that lad The next year I was
with Columbus. That was in 1901. We
port and Pittsburg came along and signed
him. I wrote Nick Young that We had
Turner and showed the evidence. Pitts
burg was kept from using him longer. The
certain player he didn't like on the Column
bus team would not be here and asked
him his price. Terry wrote back: TIL
come for something like 5000 or $225.' We
addition: I had long time trying to con-
vince the Columbus people that he would
do, but when the season started there was
nothing to 1T, and Terry went right up
through the ranks to a place Of fame on
the Cleveland team.
''He looked SO youthful in 1902 that our
grOundkeeper one day tried to put him out
Of the park with a crowd of boys, and
Turner had hard time proving that he
was a ball player. That actually happened
policeman attempted the, same thing
once
Perhaps Eddie Schoenborn at the time
In hoy amir vyn1 Ify,rr 1c fol s,
print, but it nevertheless recounts how he
paid the cigars to President Bryce of the
club In 1902 in wager on this player
Bobby Quinn brought him into the Neil
him to Eddie. Eddie sized him up and
when he walked away Schoenborn re-
marked: Bob he's nothing but high
school boy. He'll never do" Bryce walked
Well said Bryce, Bob here recon-
mended him and l am going to give him a
trial: Just to show you I am game on him.
l will bet you box of 100 cigars that
Turner makes good"
You are on" chuckled Eddie.
The bet was made. Training days came
and Turner looked better and better. The
season was yet very young when Schoen-
born approached Bryce one day and said:
Il guess your dope is right. will pay you
fifty cigars right now and call the bet off,
He paid and the little Columbus secretary
was convinced.
II was q heENy CIiuS lOF d CluD 10 "
risk third-base position to mere youth.
No one ever knew perhaps that Jud Smith
and Bob Schaub IN the winter of 1901 were
wanted here to play that bag. Manager
Jack Grim almost insisted that these men
be brought on to also try for the sack
After long elaboration the decision was
made to stand pat on Turner and he was
given the bag without dispute right from
the start.
Well. the Cotton" has made good These
tales of other days only go to show that
a ball player can be in some instances
made or unmade at the start. He was
given a fair trial here, and with that great
innate ability of his he was soon the circuit
later to become the circuit star of the
American League. There is only one
thing that Cotton must yet do, and that is
make Columbus his winter home. It's the
town here he started in. and he ought to
live here in the off months.