Evening star., 1909-02-14
VAN HA[TREN WON'T
Be A BUSH Lacquer
Famous Old Center Fielder
Declines a Place on the
HaS-Been Roll.

OAKLAND. Cal. February 6-George
Van Haltren, one OF the Oldest profession
al base ball players in the United States.
a man who from 1883 to the present time
has not been without position in some
league campaign. either in the east or on
the Pacific Slope. is indignant.
That is condition Of mind wholly at
variance with Van Haltrens disposition.
It has been practically impossible tor
years to make him angry. and now that
he has arrived at the stage of indignation
1t may be taken for granted that some
thing unusual has happened to ruffle the
serenity of his disposition.
It's thia Van Haitren has been ad-
judged too slow to play with Oakland in
1t has been rumored that he would be
reiegated to a minor league club. The
former star of the Giants and the Chi
cagos can barely catch his breath when
he talks about the subject. and says that
base ball managers may all depart from
this sphere of activity and graft before
he Will consent to 60 to minor league.
I'm as good today as the day that
started he insists, land / won't be rele-
gated to any backwoods league Before
that happens I'll quit ball playing
Rip Van Haltren is forty-three years
old, and for twenty-five years has played
base ball. from the bush teams of the
back counties to the limelight of Chi
go. New York, Pittsburg and Baltimore.
Van" is modest about his perform
ances, and when asked in what depart
ment of the game he excelled during his
long career he said he did not know. but
he must have had something to have
stayed up" SO long. To 60 up" to a
ball player Is to be graduated from
minor to the major leagues. Van did
have something for he stayed up ten
years after Pittsburg sold him as "all in"
Run getting has always been Van Hal
tren's speciality. Five different years he
led the National League in the number
Of runs scored. and from 1889 until 1902
he was always near the top with from
10 to 80 runs year with 13O to $50
game schedule
Van Haltren's parents moved to Oak
land when George was three years of age.
and his home has been there ever since.
He began playing ball around San Fran
cisco bay in 1883. In 1885 he caught on the
Emeralds. which turned into the Green
hoods and Morans the next year. and won
the all-amateur championship of Califor-
mia.
After the campaign he made his debut in
professional ball by turning from a catch
er to a pitcher. He is left handed in
throwing and batting, and thought 1t
handicapped his work behind the bat. At
that time pitchers were allowed to work in
lie old six-foOt box and would take hop
skip and Jump as they projected the ball
toward the plate. He developed great
speed and fast breaking curve that was
the wonder Of the California League that
fall. and before the season closed he had
offers from Detroit, Boston and Pittsburg
Pittsburg finally got his name to a con-
tract in the winter OF 1857. but sold his
release to Cap Anson of Chicago be-
fore the next season opened. In those
days the Chicagos had three pitchers who
took regular turns in the box and worked
the remainder Of the time in the Outfield
or on the infield. The pitching rule was
changed there and he found himself tied
to a six-inch slab. With the loss of his
hop. skip and jump his speed diminished
and he developed a slow curve ball which
New York club.
Van Hs,tren was a part OF the great
base ball players rebellion that formed
the Brotherhood In $780, He was on the
Brooklyn team.
After the Brotherhood venture ivan"
went to Billie Barnie, at Baltimore for
two seasons to play short and outfield. In
1898 he was sold to Pittsburs. the club
that first wanted him. At the close of the
season he was sold to New York as the
Pirate manager believed the veteran all
In. There he played the most brilliant
| and dashng game OF his long career, and
for ten years was the star center fielder.
batter. base stealer and run getter OF the
| club. From 1899 until 1902 he did not hit
below 800
Vans major league career stopped
May 23, 1!N2 He was stealing second and
had the base SO easily he decided not to
slide and tried chugsins along to check
his speed so as not to Overrun the base
He snapped bone in his ankle. or '.broke
my leg standing up as he expressed it.
He was on the bench the remainder of
that year and nearly all of 1907; In 1904 he
went to Seattle and the following wear
TO Oakland He has made enough money
to take care of himself and family in
his old age, and says he will retire from
the game when the Oakland club needs
him no longer. He is lather by trade
and works at 1t during the winter. to
4 xt1l L4 t1Nlc hi 4
the game. From the time he joined Chi
cago. in 1887. until he broke his leg in
1902 ne says the longest time he was ever
out during the season was three weeks
once with Pittsburg. He played three
years with New York without missing
game.