The Washington times., 1909-03-08
DEAR FANATICS.

DEAR FANATICS:
One Of the most entertaining takers
on the Washington bah team and one
of the most interesting personalities is
Jesse TannehiIl, the yOuthful-looking
pitcher, who has been in the game 10,
these many years, and has won world s
pennants by his twirling. At the supper
table the first night in Galveston Tan
nehiu began to Teminisce and talk over
old times, especially about the changed
conditions in baseball.
The game is a mere bagatelle TO
what IL used TO be- remarked jesse
They kick about players being rough
nowadays, and roast them in the pa
pers. On the other hand, If player
IS always courteous and Sidesteps
chance TO help his team in order 10
prevent serious injury to member OF
another team, the fans cry aloud that
he is not aggressive, lacks spirit or
ginger and should be supplanted by a
real live wire. That talk in the year
1909 will make me tired when I remem-
her some Of my experiences in my
younger days
.eyyby. I have gone into the Cleveland
clubhouse in the days when Patsy Te-
beau was the big noise of that club
and the champion aggressive player,
and have seen half a dozen men calmly
and thoroughly sharpening their spikes
before a game in order TO be sure of
getting their men. I have also seen
Tebeau come into the clubhouse and
offer ten dollars for the first man who
drew blood. Think OF that, and YOU
win understand what baseball was In
md l.ff n q
players felt lonesome unless the entire
reserve force of police accompanied
them from the grounds
When those conditions prevailed II
was almost entirely a matter OF game
ness in winning a pennant Every ciuf
with a chance for the bunting set out
to weaken its dangerous rivals by the
simple trick Of putting their best players
on the hospital list. Not infreqUentlI
victims we're deliberately assigned L
: men who were especially handy with
their feet in the matter OF spjking. anC
the way the oId-timers were cut uI
was evidence enough that such instruc
tons were followed to the letter.
I have seen John McGraw jump int
the air feet first and drive his spike
clear through the breast protector an,
clothing of a siX-foot catcher. drawing
/ the blood from the chest. When Dicl
/ Harley afterward made that famou
/ flying dive in Baltimore that split Nc
/ Graw's knee wide open and forever re
| tired him from the list of active thir
basemen, it was simply the paying oil
Of one or the many old scores Nc
Graw had accumulated against himself
Now. things are different, and the
should be; but tnat old rough and row
dy stuff was a great monument TO tn
honesty of professional baseball Yel
lIow-streaked or crooked athletes neve
pick a game as dangerous as that as
means Of robbing the public"
The story here is that, in ali the eZ
element Of getting rid Of John No
Closkey and acquiring Roger Bresns
han as manager for the St. Louis Ne
tienals last year. the ownership Of n
1 club forgot to renew their contract fC
/ training quarters at Houston The 5
I Louis Americans had their camp Z
Shreveport last spring and were han
, pered by rain and other Inconvenience
and annoyances. Seeing that his enem
slumbered, Jimmy McAleer stole
march on the Cardinals and grabbe
; THE Houston camp and all the appu1
J tenances thereof
Houston is a first-rate training grOun
but not as good as Galveston, and
would be a shreWd move for the Wasi
, ington owners to sign up with Galve
I ton for three years more without furti