The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1907-08-13
BEST PLAYER
In the National Game.
Who Would You Pick
For Choice2
SOME SAY pop ANSON


the national game? This is question
about which there may be some con.
flict of opinion. II Is not an unfair
venture, however, TO say that 1t was
Adrian Constantine Anson, for many
years the head of the Chicago club
OF the National League.
Everything considered, II is propa-
BILE that the name Of Anson carried
further and more conspicuously among
baseball enthusiasts and among those
who were not full-blown enthusiasts
than that Of any other player who
has had to do with the sport.
Discussion Of the veterans recalls
the various occupations they are fol-
lowing since leaving the game.
Albert G.. Spalding went directly
from the baseball field to the business
Office. Thhre are gray-headed men
who speak with veneration to this
day of "Al" Spalding's wonderful
success as a pitcher. He was pitch
er, too, In the fullest definition Of the
word, for in his day they tossed the
ball TO the batter with the slow un-
derhand motion which was the foun-
dation of the present school Of deliv.
cry.
George Wright, one OF the most
graceful and one Of the most accurate
infieiders OF his day, is prosperous
merchant in Boston.
Anson was one OF the original
"stonewall" infeld. That term came
in vogue when Anson played first,
Pfeffer played second, Williamson
shortstop and Tommy Burns third for
Chicago. There's nothing can get
by this stone wall" said the Chicago
critics proudly. There was little that
could. Only two are left out OF the
wall-Pfeffer and Anson.
BIG FOUR" WAS NOTED.
Another great combination was the
big Four" From the Atlantic to the
Pacific there was no ball player but
has heard OF them. They played with
Buffalo and were sold to Detroit,
Deacon Jim" White was their senior.
The other three were Jack Howe, Har.
die Richardson and Dan Brouthers.
Dan lasted longer in the game than
any OF them. Only recently he was
owner and manager OF team at Wap-
pingers Falls, N. Y. Now he Is In
New York picking up odd Jobs here
and there as an umpire and looking
for a place to open business.
Deacon jim" White IL In business
In Buffalo. Jack Rowe is tobacco
dealer In business in the western part
of this State.
Jack Rowe was fine fielder. Short
stop was his position. SO was Hardie
Richardson, who played second, fine
fielder. Both could bat well.
Mike Tiernan, "Silent Mike" who
said little but knocked the ball over
the fence two or three times a week,
keeps a cafe in New York. Roger
Connor, big and burly, and a marvel
ous "swiper" OF line hits when he was
first baseman for the Giants, lives
at Waterbury, Conn. Occasionally he
has dabbled in minor league baseball.
John Montgomery Ward, shortstop
OF the team, Is a successful lawyer In
this city, with a large practice. He
has beautiful country home at Baby
Ion, N. Y, and is attaining fame as one
OF the leading golfers of the United
States. Ward is well.to-do, prosper
GUS and. as fond OF baseball as he ever
was, although his personal ambition
10 become a high.olass golfer keeps
him away from the games TO some
extent.
mickey" Welch, the famous drop
ball pitcher, and the father OF many
children, is prosperously conducting a
hotel at Holyoke, Mass.
RUSIE COMMON I4ABoRER.
Amos Rusie, Little Amie," the
~Hoosfer Thunderbolt," few across
the baseball sky like meteor. Not
yet OF age, he pitched his first profes'
sional baseball game for the Indianap-
oils club against Cleveland in the lat,
ter city in 1889. and was sent back 70
indianapolis that night to contlue
work in the mattress fastory from
which he had been taken.
Yet John T. Brush had great faith
that Rusie would some day make a
wonderful pitcher. and took him from
the factory and put him on his Indian
apolis team the following spring