The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1909-01-27
A BASEBALL WONDER,
"0Id Hoss" Radbourne, Greatest
of All Pitchers. L
THE HERCULES OF THE GAME

His Marvellous Feat of Pluck, Strength
and Endurance That Won the Pen.
nant For Providence In 1894 Rec.
ord In Games Won.
Pitchers may come and pitchers may
60, but the name Of "Old Hoss" Rad
bourne goes on forever. I have talked
to many great ball players who have
lamented to me the fact that baseball
fame Is so ephemeral that 1t was not
worth the gaining, and, while no doubt
this is in a great measure true, there
is one pitcher who has left a name
that promises to roll on for many,
many years.
Each year hundreds Of pitchers claim
attention Of the world, and each year
they r promptly forgotten. But I'LL
nois produced a man who, although
now years deceased, has a brighter
name than any Of the great multitude.
In the great campaign Of 1884, when
the Providence club, then a member Of
the National league, was fighting a bit
ter game with Philadelphia, a catastro-
phe occurred that seemingly would
disrupt its chances Of winning the pen
nant. A player named Sweeney, who
was pitching. was ordered to go into
right field to change places with "Cy-
clone" Miller. At that time it was not
permissible to take a pitcher out Of the
game. Whereupon Sweeney promptly
walked out Of the game, leaving the
team with only eight men and with
n pitcher, Charles Radbourne.
Two men tried to cover the field,
with the result that Providence was
completely showed under. A meeting
Of the directors was held to decide
whether or not the club should be dis
banded. Certainly a professional team
was v in a sorrier plight.
Radbourne was approached and the
proposition put to him. II a win it
all right" said he quietly and in a
matter of fact tone.
And then followed the most remark
able battle for a pennant that the
world has ever seen. Radbourne es-
tablished q record that has never been
eQualed, n that will live when more
expensive contests will have been
blissfully forgotten. OF twenty-seven
consecutive games Radbourne won
twenty-six. In four games with Bos-
ton he had three shutouts, only one
run was scored and only seventeen
hits made. This defeat was SUI
fered at the hands of Buffalo by a
score Of 2 to 0, and even then only
I've hits were made of him, showing
that the defeat was not due to poor
pitching. Needless to say, Providence
won the pennant, or, rather. Rad
bourne won the pennant.
But the great player had to pay the
price. No arm could stand the awful
strain without great agony. Morning
after morning when Radbourne arose
he could not lift his arm as high as
his waist. He had to brush his hair
with his left hand. But he did not
give up the game. He would slip out
to the park about two hours before
the rest of the team put in an ap-
p%earance and would begin the excru-
ciating process of limbering up. He
would pitch the ball only a few feet
when he would first go out, but he
would keep on trying time after time,
rubbing his arm with his left hand.
Sometimes his face would be drawn
up into contortions, but never a word
Of complaint left his lips.
Half an hour before the game was
to begin the players would slip out to
see how "Old Hoss" was getting along.
They would sit silently on the bench,
waiting for his arm to get into condi.
ton. When he was able to throw
from second to home base a rousina
cheer would 60 up, for they knew
that meant the winning Of the game
for them.
Radbourne claimed for his HON,
Bloomington, III. After his great sea
son with Providence managers all owe
the country were upon his heels. Flat
tering offers poured In. and he was no
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