Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-09-05
LAJOlE'S DEBUT IN
AMERICAN LEAGUE
From the Cleveland Press.

From the SleVefdnu fISHb.
On a boiling hot day in midseason. 1902
the Cleveland players were standing out
I'm front of the Bingham House In Phil.
adelphia talking to Napoleon Lajoie and
bill" Bernhard, two bail players just
then out Of jobs They had quit the old
Phillies for the new Athletics, but the
courts had ruled they could not play for
Mack's team.
The train from Cleveland was just in.
A carriage rolled up to the curb and
Charley Somers stepped out. In his right
hand was neat little money satchel."
Probably it was stuffed" 1t wasn't very
bulky three or four hours afterward.
Want to see you upstairs a minute.
Larry" said somers. and the two went
up to Manager Armour's room. The play
ers waited and waited. Finally there
was a call for Bernhard, and he joined
Somers and Larry.
About two hours later Somers came
downstairs and started for the station to
take the train back to Cleveland. AS he
passed the writer he bent over and whis-
pered:
I've signed EN-
Larry's reception in Cleveland was the
biggest event In all the history of base
ball in Cleveland. There was a "Lajoie
day" and the stands that had been empty
SO long were damned to the rafters.
For weeks the ruling of the Philadel-
phia courts stood not only in the way
of Larry's playing with the Cleveland
team in Philadelphia but made it neces.
sary that he should not set foot in thai
state.
So Larry would make the trip from
Cleveland to New York or Boston by way
ington by a practically saltwater" route
that meant many hardships. Finally
however, a truce was arranged and peace
declared.
At the end Of the season of 1902 Presi
dent Ban Johnson took an inventory OF
the American Leagues holdings. THE
| coming of Lajoie into this league has in
creased gate receipts by $4,000" he
said.
1t was In Boston next to Cleveland, per
haps, that Larry was most appreciated
The old Cleveland team under Franz
Bonner had been drawing crowds of 2OOt
or $500 at the Hub.
| On the first trip there after Larry join
ed the team the crowds jumped to 1o,OO(
and 10000 day, and Larry's every play
was wildly cheered by the old-time fans
of that city, who knew the game as 1t il
known nowhere else.
| They knew Larry up in Chicago, too
| The Maps made a trip there soon after
Larry joined the team. and the fans
fairly damned South Side Park. One day
the score to in favor of the White
Sox, but there We're three Maps on bases
two men out. and Larry was at bat.
| All through the game a big man, wear
ing a high silk hat and occupying 8
front box, had been making his presence
known by yells for the king.
AS Larry strobe to the plate in the
ninth the big man got up, removed his
! hat and. facing the crowd, shouted will
all his might.
Ladies and gentlemen. / beg to in
| form you that this ball game is now
over" Just then Larry's bat met the bal
as only Larry's bat can meet it, anG
| three Maps scampered over the plate.
| Lajoes great batting and marvelou:
| fielding for the old Phillies had made
him famous the world over When the
Maps played an exhibition game in Little
Rock in 1904 a colored man mounted or
white mule rode through the street:
shouting:
La 10, the mighty La 10, de world!
greatest and grandest ball playah. play.
ball heah today. Don't miss seeing thi:
mighty man.
The fans" didn't.