The Washington herald., 1909-02-22
Old Ball Player Says Young
Ster Is Faster.
CLEVELAND KILLS OFF HOODOO
Mans in signing "Cy' Young May
Now Have Chance tO Beat Ma
mountaineering stories OF the
Grand Old Man of Baseball by
Elmer Bates, Cleveland Scribe.

Town regarding lIe puICiiaS6 Ot ~ ia
Conroy by the Nationals management
last week. The majority OF fans and bali
players are Of the opinion that he viii
greatly strengthen the infeld. while
others believe that COnroy is really no
improvement over Shipke.
An old bah player, who has been closely
identified with the American League, and
who is personally acquainted with al the
players, SAYS: Take il from me that
Ccnroy VIII not co any better here than
Shlpke. II is a cinch, he cannot throw as
well. and ss for hitting. Conroy had a
fine average three years ago. That is the
only tine I remember Of his doing much
Other fans are disappointed because
the club could not reach an agreement
toward securing EIberfeld, but the Wis
dom OF Canullons move viii be deter
mined as the season progresses
TIE majority Of baseball men believe
that Conroy viii better serve the Wash
ington interests than ElbeTfeld.
The Washington team OF 1905 was IN
questioEabiy TIE Maps hoodOO. Cy Young
was last year. and always has been.
Washington's hoodoo. In 1905 he pitched
six games against the Washington team,
and won them all Cleveland has found
way 20 kill the Washington hoOdoo.
With Cy Young pitching for Boston.
Washington was the easiest kind OF a
victim In the six games they were able
10 make only thirty-five hits and six
runs, an average Of scarcely SIX hits 10 a
game and one run. He also averaged
nearly six strike-Outs in all his clashes
with CantillOn's team.
Cy opened the season against Wash
ington on april T. beating them ) 10 !.
allowing only four hits and striking out
nine men He followed tais I'D with vic
tories by the following scores: : 10 0. s
10 o. . 20 J. 20 3, and 3 20 l. The . 10
victory was a thiTJeen-innning battle.
Considering the great effectiveness he
has always shown against the Washing
ton team. 1t is more than likely that
Larry viii use him often against the Ma
tiOnals.
Elmer Bates. the veteran Cleveland
baseball writer tells few interesting
tales OF the grand old man Of baseball.
'Cy' Young He says:
Old Cy never kicks at the umpire. one
day IN 1857 he and Addie JOSS fought out
a great 70 ten-inning game in Boston.
Cleveland won on base on balls. helped
along by an error and a single
Late that evening Tommy Connolly
came into the hotel where Young was sit
ting
Tn not sure that didn't give you the
worst Of il, Cy. on that fourth ball said
the umpire 1t seemed from where 7
stood 10 be pretty high
oh. that was ball all right Tommy /
said Cy. 1T was al least six inches TOO /
high"
Which one OF your AS victories in the
major leagues do you recall with the most
satisfaction" was asked Of Old Cv when
the Little Old Man visited him Al PaoH.
The first game ever pitched for CIeve- /
land, back in 1890 replied Old Cv. unbesi- /
tatinsly- I doubt If a baseball crowd I
ever looked on a more typical rube than
/ appeared 70 be that day in a makeshfft /
uniform six or seven sizes too small I
didn't have much money then. but /
wouldn't have lost that game to Chicago /
for the prettiest SI.oo9 bill ever printed
There's another game Cy remembers
fondly- 1t was played in this CITY by the
Cleveland and Boston teams Al the close
Of the double season championship in ISqz /
and the score at the end Of the eleventh 1
inning when the game was called WAS
10 O. Young pitched for Cleveland and /.
big Jack Stivetts for Boston.
I guess worked harder that dav than
! ever did before or than I've worked I
since, says Old Cy.
Ofd Cy is probably the mos. modest
''big man baseball has ever produced I
Al the Colonial one day last summer. /
a young man took a chair beside the +
great pitcher and began paying him ful- /
some praise.
You are the swiftest pitcher I ever
saw. he said
Then, said Old CT, 7 guess you never
saw Amos Rusie- Ny fast ball looks. like
slow freight trying 10 keep JIp with 1
the Twentieth Century limited compared
with RUsies."
But your slow ball is a peach
Young man. remarked Old Cy gravely, 1
If 1 could pitch the slow ball that Eddie /
Beatin, the old Cleveland twirIer- used 10 /
hand up 10 the batters, I'd let them knock /
1900 q year of my salary"
It is a matter Of record that Old Cy
didn't know he had retired the Athletics 4
without a man reaching first in that won
derful game at Boston, May 5. 1904. until 1
another player on the Boston team told
him
q knew Comics boys hadn't made = /
hit" said Old Cy the next day. but !
couldn't understand why the crowd was
making such a demonstration
Well, you've done il, Cy.' said Jim
my Collins, as We started for the dress
ing room. after the crowd had let me
20.
Done what. Jimmy2' asked. 1
Pitched a no-hit gamer /
Better than that, not a man reached 4
first
Then knew what all the racket was
about"
Il IS q fact that Norman Elberfeld made /
an urgent request OF Manager StaIlings.
Of the HighIanders, for a chance IN r.
5eem himself this year. EIberfeld saws he 4
can play as well as ever. and that II 4
Stallings VIII put him on third basa
where ne viii stand less chance Of being
spiked, he viii make good EIberfeId 4
has played that bag in splendid style be-
fore. and Stsllings does not believe in
passing him up unless the Kid proves
that his legs cannot stand the strain