Los Angeles herald., 1908-03-05
WHERE ARE THE
VETERAN LEAGUERS /?

What has become of the old ball
players? Not the extremely Did heroes
of some 30 years ago, but the men
whom the fans adored around the
troublesome times of 1S90-the men who
were in the big leagues just before the
brotherhood, and who came in that
season, or within the next few years.
Where are the men who made up the
circuits of 1890, and who figured in the
score books up to, say, dozen years
ago? Only a corporafs guard of them
remain i'm fast company today. Some
5,re dead; some are high in politics,
like Uncle Anson, Ad Gumbert and
John Tener; but most of them still
figure in the records, and can be found
in baseball rosters of today-if you
look far enough in the pages of the
minor leagues.
Two real veterans who are now in
the New England league-Jesse Bur-
kett and Billy Hamilton-are well off.
III this league are Buster Burrill, Frank
Connaughton and George Barclay.
The patriarch of the Connecticut
league is Jim O'Rourke, happy club
owner. In this league, too, are Charlie
Bsatian. George Lachance and Tommy
Dowd so longe a sensational player on
half dozen big league teams.
George Carey, the once famous
Scoops" who had SO many big league
trials, played last year at Memphis
in the Southern association.
Lave Cross found refuge at New
Orleans after the Senators turned him
loose. Gene De Montreville plugs
along in the warm southern cline.
Rabb. John Dobbs. Dale Gear, Charlie
Miller, Bill Douglas, all these play
south, and in the south, far from the
scenes of earlier fame is Theodore
Breitenstein, once a master of the left
handed tribes.
Out in the Western league we find
Charles Dexter. Ducky Holmes, Hank
Spies and George Hogriever, famed
even yet for speed and ginger. Ed
Mexican, Clevelands burly shortstop
through many a season, was IN the
Central league last summer Little
Harry Blake did what he could to
earn his living in the same league.
Malachai Kittredse brought up In TINS
little league, and will stay there, in all
probability, till the end. Bricktop
kennedy, who helped win three Pitts
burg flags, worked in the same crowd.
The American association, being a
high-class minor league, Is the CHOSEN
refuge of many old warriors, who can
get fair money there as long as tney
hold out, Good old Jake Beckley was
with Kansas City and Monte Cross ross
has lust sought the same haven. Bill
Clarke. once a Baltimore catcher, was
with Toledo. Dick Dooley, at Louis
Vile. got fair money, but what
change from Philadelphia days. Zeke
WrigIey. Barry Mccormick, for many
seasons a crackerjack in fastest COM
pany: old Dick Padden, who saw tne
White Sox win flag or two; ED Greln-
niger. with big league teams half a
generation back; Jimmy Burke, who
surely had his ups and downs; PM
Grier. who came TO Philadelphia with
I,aioie. but didn't stay; Jack McCar-
thv slated to enter still a lesser league
this season; Sandow Mertes, nero OF
many an exciting fray; Danny Green
with both Chicago teams Tor years,
Huelsman. who bobbed in and out or
fa eff company lot of trips; Tom Nc
Creerv who was a hardy slugger at
Rrooklyn: Townsend. who, though stil'
Young. had many years in the star
cornnany: Bob Wicker, whose oescent
from the top notch was like the ran
of a, rocket Buttons Brlggs' helile
Peitz. one of the real old guard OF
catchers; Joe Sugden, another OF tne
same kind, and Fred BueioW, aliotnet 'lst
veteran backstop, and Kellum. a le1t-
harder who had several big league
+riae-alI these were in the American
essociation The Eastern sleague also
contained a lot of the hasDeens. Mer-
ritt who was a catcher for Anson III
1891. George Smith, with Loulsvl,ie
many years past; Jack Dunn, blily
Keister, a slugger of the past run.Sa te,,
Hi waiter Woods, with the Cubs ten
rnars nl.ai ago. and Billy Phyle were some
of TT the fairly aged folks. The real an
tinnes though, We're Tommy Corcoran,
sl1use snr seventeen years big league star;
Toc,r RYAN. who caught on various
teams for nearly twenty years; Jimmy
Bannon, one Of the dn, innunsInste MN slister one
l,ei ~ the greatest utility men ever In
+1a game.