Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-04-04
"W|O" CONROY As
A BASE RUNNER
He and Schaefer Get Longer
Leads Than Any of the
Other Players.

"wid' Conroy, considered by many 10
be the best utility infielder in the Ameri-
can League, gets bigger lead OF the
bags than any other man, writes spe-
cial correspondent to the Detroit Journai
from San Antonio, Tex. Herman Schaeier
comes second in this feature Of base rum
ming.
How Conroy does il never could ilnd
out. don't believe that any one can just
figure Il out" said Joe Cantillon the other
day In discussing base running
IF pavy Jones could get as big lead
as Conroy gets there is probably nothing
that could stop him. remarked 'Hughie
Jennings.
Conroy hardly ever gets caught He is
away off the bags all the time He can
get back almost any time the catcher
pitcher or infielders whip the ball across
in an effort to catch him mapping
With Schaefer there is a solution Al
most any ball player can tell you WHY
Herman always succeeds In setting pig
lead There isn't better clown IN base
ball today than Schaefer. and the Ger
man Is one of the most popular players
fin the game All the players like Her.
man for the things he says as much as
ANYTHING else. He has a sense of humor
that Is real. He is amusing at almost All
times. There is never an occasion wheh
Schaefer can't come through with cieVer
remark.
Schaefer Tells Stories.
Schaefer uses his fund of humor to ad-
vantage He never gets on, but that he
begins gossiping with the baseman lie
cracks a joke or begins funny story
and the man guarding the bag becomes
Interested. Schaefer strengthens this In
terest, and while he is Strengthening IL
the distance between Herman and the
bag is always increasing.
Herman. with all his wit. however.
doesn't seem able to get as big lead as
Conroy. Wild doesn't spend much time
Kidding the basemen, but he's always
far OF the bag.
Davy Jones does not get big lead. and
Cobb's are hardly ever much out OF the
lead off any sort of distance. "Ownie"
Bush is beginning to get down toward the
next bag and taking chances He is max
ing good, too. The kid is mighty small
tifully.
In one Of the practice games here the
other day "Ownie'' was leading far OF
the bag. He was smiling at the pitcher
and that grin of "ownie.s" Is enough 10
tantalize most any twirler. 1t was in a
pinch and Bush was standing. pigeon
toed. arms outstretched. moving his body
nervously.
ball had Bush beaten by a foot. but he
succeeded In twisting his small body
around In the rear OF the baseman.
touching the bag and turning over The
Tiger shortstop again gained his lead.
Again the pitcher threw and this time
Bush beat the ball. He led off again and
so for six times he was far off and beat
the baseman before Crawford spanked
one to third and the fielder found that
Ownie had the second base we'll in reach
when lie whirled to throw.
Bush Learning Fast.
From the way Bush is working and
the way he is needing advice he should
give Conroy and Schaefer somewhat of
contest for first honors in leading off.
Matty Mcintyre gets a fairly good lead
and George Moriarty Is in the same way.
Beckendorf and Stanage are coming
around and Jennings Is spending a lot of
time teaching the two catchers the art Of
leaving the bag and starting for the next
base.
Davy Jones. as speedy as any man IN
hardest kind of luck. There's hardly
ever an instance when Davy Is caught
that It Is not by the least fraction OF
second Davy and the ball always seem
to reach q base at the same time.
The Tigers are improving. They'll be
Off and away In grand style If they keep
I'D their present work.
Cantillon's Houseboat Party.
Since they Joined the Tigers neither
Charley OLeary nor Herman Schaefer
has had much TO say about the house,
boat parties which Joe Cantillon gives
along the Mississippi river annually and
to which the two Tigers are generally
invited. When Joe broke into the Tiger
camp with his regiment the other day
he turned loose a lot Of the houseboat
secrets.
Charley has been trying to do a lot of
explaining ever since Joe was in town.
In the first place Charley was pretty
much OF tenderfoot. and that covers
the less his crimes are such that will live
The night before the first days hunt
Cantillon suggested that the party turn
to hunks at 8 o'clock. Not for Charley
party and playing till l o'clock in the
morning. Joe being the host and Charley
the guest. Joe consented. So they played
cards till early morning.
Charley was awakened from his sleep
by the voice of Joe. The Washington
manager could not be seen. He was tell
ing Charley to get up. Joe lit candle
and Charley dressed. The other members
OF the party were all ready.
They started. Charley was given lit
tie lantern. They walked for miles and
miles. Finally daylight came But no
geese, for IL was geese that they were
after that day.
Joe finally told Charley 10 dig a pit
lie gave him a gun and told him TO
stay in the pit till the geese came.
4 knew that a goose wouldn't come
there in million years., remarked
Cantillon he was telling the story
Well. Charley didn't see any more of
The party till after O'Clock In the after
noon. He was still watching for the
geese.
o'Leary Shot the Decoys.
When the party reached the houseboat
at O'Clock Cantillon said to O'Leary:
Well, Charley, whatn you have to
eat What can We get ready for you?"
My bunk drawled O'Leary. and his
head dropped heavy with sleep.
Cantillon told this incident Of one day S
hunt. He had stationed OLeary and an
other member OF the party at a certain.
point where he believed the geese would
come. Cantillon went some distance
away and waited
geese coming There must have been at
least 800 OF them / thought they would
knock the two over. 1 yelled to them
and told them to look out for the flock.
"On came the geese. closer and closer.
1 was getting impatient. 1 could see
O'Leary and the other boy standing
there talking. For time they discussed
whether they would shoot OF not. The
geese were swarming all around them.
Finally they decided to shoot and they
didn't do thing but blow up two wood