The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1908-01-02

Fan, how a minor league player feels
on his first appearance in either Of
who has jumped from a class ID league to
the majors and he Will tell you it's quite Il
sensation.
A crowd of 10000 makes a bush league
recruit think that all the people IN the
world have gathered to see him perform.
In his minor league days he regarded a
crowd of 5000 as the limit. except in such
leagues as the Eastern and the American
Association. OF course there are excep-
tons to all rules, but generally the new
recruits imagine every eye in the crowd i7
on them, they are seIf-consclous and seem
TO think that their SUCCESS III baseball de-
ponds on the initial debut.
Working under such conditions generally
has a bad effect on the players showing,
and many a man who was Il joke on his
first appearance in the big league has de-
veloped into a star. The wise manager
working under, and takes all these things
INTO consideration before passing final
judgment.
Perhaps no player works under a greater
strain n the minor league pitcher. Tine
twirlef Is continually in the limehght. He
has more opportunities TO go wrong than
the infielder, outfielder or catcher. and for
this reason his work is watched ali the
more closely.
Good pitchers are not picked up every
day, and when a team signs a new one
the fans always flock TO the park 10 see
his first performance. Usually the fans
are prone 10 pass judgment TOO quickly.
Ii the qoungster gets away bad in the
first inning and Is derricked after the
opposition has made four or five runs he
Is Immediately dubbed a joke.
Others viii insist that he must have
broken into the big league with a dark
lantern and a jimmy. On the other hand,
let one of the veterans start a game and
get hit as hard as the youngster. Mr..
Fan will be Johnny on the spot with an
excuse.
He will assure you that the veteran had
an of day, that he never works well when
q high wine is blowing, sand that things
might have been different il the shortstop
hadn't slipped up on that pop fly that
would have retired the side. These and a
thousand other Reuse will be offered to
excuse the veterans poor showing, which
merely goes TO show that there is every
thlng IN having d reputation for great
ness. 1t serves to cover up aults innu-
merable.
johnson 81 Real sensation.
The sensation Of the baseball world in
the pitching line last season was Walter
Johnson, Of the Washington American
League team, In johnson, Manager Can
tllon picked up the real big find Of the
year and he ought to be the "Whirling
Noise during the coming season. Johnson
IS Il DE, faW-boned, six-toot westerner. lie
Is only - years OF age and Ii he takes the
proper care of h,hsself he ought TO develop
INTO one of the most p owerful men in base
pail. These facts make the showing of
JOuHSOl All the more powerful and makes
him all the more valuable to the club.
A broken finger played a prominent part
in the bringing OF johnson to the Amer
lean League, In A game with Philadelphia
Scybold fouled Off one Of Tom Hughes y
fast ones, the ball hit Cliff Blankenship,
who was catching, squarely on his throwing
hand and broke the second finger. The ae-
cident caused much gloom In the Washing
ton camp, for the CLUB was in a badly
crippled condition nj the time. 1t seems II
friend of Cantillon's in the West had tipped
Johnson off 10 Joe.
ington manager that Cantillop decided he
was worth a trial. He decided to make
use OF Blankenship. One morning he sup
piled the crippled catcher with Il ticket to
Weiser, Ind, with Instructions to look
Johnson over. Blankenship saw him work
and signed him 10 a Washington contract,
and Johnson agreed to report at a certain
time.
~Blankenship brought back such wonder
full reports to the capital about Johnson
that his coming was awaited with great
curiosity by the fans. The fact that hg
arrived ten days late caused him TO be the
talk of the town.
johnson was sent in against Detroit On
his first appearance. Detroit at that timc
was ieading the American League. In just
enc inning johnson demonstrated he was
the goods. Instead of being nervous, he
was the most confident player on the iield
lie bad the heavy hitters on the Tiger
team doing a lot Of sancy club swinging.
! Z Iit[hfg biiitiitA1N Ittthft I'LL
only thing to do was to bunt. Davy
Jones and Sam Crawford laid down bunts
hat the big fellow couldn't handle. An
innad htt and a single by cobb scored
two runs and settled the game.
The showing of Johnson set the baseball
worlG on fire, and the veteran players
on both teams claimed he was the best
y%oungster that ever broke into fast COM
pany. johnson was green and very weak
on fielding bunts, but before the close Of
the season he had polished IN most Of tile
rough spots and took care of the hunts in
fine style. The big Westerner has an easy
movement. and should be another Cy
Young in the point of endurance.
WiIIetts's First Experience.
Edgar Willets, of the Detroit team,
broke in against the White Sox in August,
1906, when the Chicago players were max
ing their bid for the grand old rag, All
of Armour's veteran pitchers were in bad
shape, md he decided to use one of his
colts. Willetts was selected for the open
ing anne, and he performed in great
style. He lost his game 2 to o. allowing
only five hits, errors giving Chicago both
of its runs.
After the game was over one of the
regulars asked Willetts how he felt.
seemed to me us liz L had been pitching
a week. he replied. The fact that the
game had been played in one hour and
twenty minutes will convey to the reader
now Willetts must have felt.
Thu next day Armour decided to use
Rowan, hoping that he would have as
good luck against the White Sox as Will
etts. In the very first inning Chicago
made nine runs. Then Armour hung the
a on Rowan and he retired to the bench.
How did it feel out there when they
Were making those nine runs?' remarked
Willetts, who WINS sitting on the bench
beside him and was trying to figure out
how 1t happened.
why, that one inning seemed longer to
me than all the rest of the summer" was
RGwan's reply.
Then he and Willetts glared rat one
another.
Young McDonald's Strenuous Inning.
PITCHER Mcdonald, of the Erie team of
tne interstate League, had Il strenuous
deDut IN rast company. Manager Cantil-
ION, or washington, sent him against the
Athletics. Washington was going bad
that day and the Athletics had on their
batting clothes. Nine runs were made in
the first inning. Cantillon sent McDona Id
home to think it over for the winter. He
Will get another trial next year to prove
that his debut was a luke.
Pitches McGill, who vas secured by Nc
Aleer from the Texas Beague, got away
with the two games he worked, although
the players insisted he didn't nave a
thing. Evidently the players opinion was
shared by McAleer for this is how he
broke the news to Jack Sheridan, that the
pitcher wouldn' do. you never saw Me-
of the veteran umpire one-day.
mo, but I'll look him over next year."
replied sherry"
mot unless you work on the Texas
League" was McBleer's comeback. Jim
didn't even smile, but Sheridan did when