Omaha daily bee., 1909-10-03

living from this world without playing
base ball.
Il have pitched for the Giants nearly
ten years" sad the big fellow, and that
IL a long time 70 stay IN base hall and
stnI be a winner. I realize that past per-
formances do not get a ball player any
thing. and that when the Inevitable break
comes he is soon cast aside and forgotten.
I do not intend to let those evil days over
take me. I might go along next year, and
several more years. perhaps, but the end
is Inevitable. II 1 stuck to the finish l
might not be able to close with such a
good opportunity as this one. / have to
look out for myself and l am willing to
take a chance. II would be a matter Of
only a few seasons anyhow, and l may as
well take time by the forelock.
Il wouldn't II / didn't think It would
pay me better than base ball. The money
may not be there right away, Of course,
and It is possible that further delay may
be advisable and that I will stick for an
other year, but the thing is bound to pay
better than base ball II we can swing t.,
and II our present plans develop as we
anticipate, / will not be with the Giants
next season"
Body Blow 10 Giants.
Matty does not care to go into any
further particulars of the venture. but
he is not a fellow given to idle talk, and
so what he says must be seriously re-
garded. II he quits II surely will be a
body blow to the Giants. McGrsw can
pick up any quantity OF pitchers, but he
probably will never get another Mathew
son. 1t takes years to develop them and
they are plucked at the rate Of one In
about every ten years.
It will be difficult to imagine a deal at
the polo grounds without big Six" He
seems as much Of a fixture as the
stands and field, and the fans have come
to regard him as a permanent institution
For years the pitching staff has been
built around him, and sometimes he was
nearly the whole staff. He has been the
biggest factor in keeping the Giants In
the six National league p%ennant races.
Take out his victories and the Giants
would scarcely have finished in the first
division this year. He won a worlds
championship almost unaided. McGraw
has a lot of good youngsters, but II
would require more than one season &c
get over the loss of Matty.
Matty has drawn a big salary for sew
eral years, and he deserved every penny
Of it. 1t is understood that he never
signs more than a one-year contract. He
enters, into a new agreement each spring
and he never has been compelled to use
holdup tactics, as the club has appre'
ciated his services in a substantial way
He will rave to ignore the reserve clause
Of course, but he will not be compelled
to repudiate any actual contract.
In the years that he has been with th'
club Matty has given faithful service. HI
has never asked to leave the team at AM
time except when necessity compelled 1t
His contracts of recent years provided tina
h was not to pitch Sunday games. Thi
he insisted on, because most exhibition
games are played on Sunday, and the club
therefore, cannot call on him for ex
hibition games except in the spring. H,
was 20 years old last August and is still
a young man, as busine men go, but OLE
in base ball. Some of his money has beef
invested in paying stocks, but he ha
scattered his holdings so that financia
calamity could not overtake him, and ha
a lot OF cash on deposit in various New
York banks and trust companies.