Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-03-29
SURE HANDICAP TO
BASE BALL PLAYERS
Effect of Injuries Received on
College Gridiron - Chance
of Success Endangered.
By Billy Evans.

sire to shine in the PROFESSIONAL "oriO
should ever play foot ball. No profess
sional player who expects to have long
career on the diamond should dabole IN
the strenuous game during the off season.
The great national game has been rob
bed Of many a star college player through
injuries received in foot ball. Most Of the
college players now shining in fast COM
pany bear scars of many a hard fought
gridiron battle. With very few eXcep-
tons these memories of their foot ball
careers give them a great deal of trouble,
affect their work on the diamond in differ
ent ways and in some cases threaten to
cut short a players career JUS when he
ought to be at his best.
Foot ball is great winter game. but
ball players who take up the sport are
endangerinS their chances TO make big
salaries for six short months Of work
A number of the stars of the present
day have started their base ball work in
the different colleges of the country.
Many fond parents oppose the taking up
Of athletics by their sons, claiming it in
terferes with their work 1t IS known
shone as ball players during their course
at college are drawing down more money
than the bookworms who delighted TO
conversed in German just TO become more
fluent.
A course in base ball is d mighty good
study for any husky youth TO take while
at college If he demonstrates that he
can play tn egame he viii be delugei with
offers from big league managers before
he has received his sheepskin. A valeiic-
torian of all eastern college OF five years
ago is now teaching school in little town
in Maine for $1,000 a year. while the star
pitcher of the varsity nine is drawing in
the neighbornood, OF $500 for six months
work as a twirler in one of the big
leagues. The above. however. is trlfle
off the subject of foot ball and base ball.
so lets get back to facts.
In Joe Birmingham Cleveland has one
of the greatess outhelders in the big
leagues. AS a thrower Birmingham is
without compare and no base runner takes
any liberties when bail is hit into his
fed. Birmingham is a youngster and
has been playing professionally only three
years. yet he admits that injuries received
in foot ball may cause him TO cult the
same at any time.
Birmingham is former Cornell player
and in his time was regarded as one of
the best halfbacks of the east. The con-
ditioning of a foot ball player is entirely
different from the course of sprouts the
ball players go through. It's a case OF
start quick on punts, kicks and all plays
and stop sometimes even quicker. Tack
ling hurts the muscles of a mans legs
and often slows him up considerably
Three years of college foot ball didn't
help him any and every year he is
troubled with charley horse. He at
tributes his trouble to the roughing he
received at the strenuous game.
Birmingham himself fears that in four
or five more years his legs may be shot to
pieces. If his underpinning ever does
go back en- him. he will have TO forsake
the outfeld Just now he is being tried
behind the bat because of his great
throwing arm and the fact that his legs
are none too strong.
A bad pair of knees did more to put
Jack HAYDEN out of the American League
than any other one thing Hayden in
his college days at the University OF
Pennsylvania was one of the star quar-
terbacks of the east. He also was
member of the varsity nine. Severa!
times in different seasons of foot ball
Hayden was put out of it owing 10 in
juries received about the knees.
After leaving college he took up base
ball as profession. and during the winter
PLAYED foot ball with various professional
teams OF note. such as the Canton Ath-
letic Club and strong teams of Philadel-
phia He finally landed a berth in the
American League. joining the Boston
Americans When a player at Pennsyl-
vania Hayden was noted for his great
speed and his ability to cover ground
Just VIXEN Hayden wanted his speed.
the pair OF legs went back on him While
with Boston Hayden had all kinds of
trouble with both knees Naturally his
cover ground as Of old This weakness
more than anything else. helped send
Jack back to the minors. he is stu
much faster than the average player.
but there is no telling what he would be
able to do if he had given foot ball
wide berth while at college.
HAYDEN is not the only player who suf
fers from a bad knee or pair of knees due
to foot ball injuries Jake Stahl has
bum leg that he gives foot ball credit
for While at the University of Illinois
Jake was one OF the S.ar tack eS of the
west He was rather fortunate and his
injuries were rather few, but he man
aged to get tackled one day while carry
ing the ball at top speed, and for several
weeks he cavorted around on clutches.
The injury still gives him lots of trouble.
A pair of bum pins caused Dave Fultz.
the wonderful Brown University player,
to retire just when it seemed as if he
was at the height of his career. After
entering the big league ranks. Fultz con-
tinued foot ball and was a member of
the famous Pittsburg professionals, con-
coded to be the greatest aggregation of
co lege stars ever gathered together
FultZ is now a practicinS lawyer IN New
York and is making big money. He claims
he is glad his legs went back on him.
Years ago college ball players were few
and far between in the big league ranks.
but the club that doesn't boast Of two or