The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-12-01
Several Players Are Wintering
in Topeka.
Discuss Their Experiences in
the Misty Past.
RECRUITASWA
Nearly Killed Porter in the
Pullman Sleeper.
Young Pitcher Who Slept With
Arm in Hammock.

Time enough has passed since the
close of the baseball season that all OF
the stories of new and wonderful plays
have been told, most of the money has
been spent, players who are going to
find winter jobs have found them and
there is now nothing to be done save
the coniuring up of new and revised
tales of baseball. And most of these
are now concerning the training trip,
showing that the PLAYERS mind is now
turned toward the beginning of an
other season. All summer long the
player looks forward longingly to the
close of the season but when a week
/ has passed after the season has closed
! he begins to think of the time when he
will be getting into condition for an
other season and he thinks mostly Of
this during the cold months that fol-
low.
Red" Downs. Jack Henry and S,
Arthur Abbott are wintering in To-
peka, beside our own Richard, and
there are baseball stories galore. Many
of these stories show the effect of the
common enemy time, but some of them
have been remodelled and re-vamped
in such way as to allow them to pass
muster. And then there is occasionally
a letter from the outside world which
recalls other stories.
Doc Andrews, for third sacker, and
who managed the Nets for Mr.. Moist
of Oklahoma City last year, is the chief
scribe of the former Cooleycrows. And
Doc can't help writing letters. 1t is
evident he never experienced the pleas
ure of a breach of promise suit. The
doctor is funny all the time but never
causes such bowls of laughter on the
diamond as his letters cause around
baseball headquarters.
Everything is running fast down
here" he wrote recently, "and I'm In
speeding paving or plumbing or some
| thing of that kind. I don't know much
about the work but every time see the
mayor I get a cake of soap and come
clean That is necessary when you
want to hold job"
When Cooley Hired a Pitcher.
Cooley's declaration that he had all
the pitchers he wanted to begin the
season next spring recalls an amusing
incident of the training season last
spring. The Washington squad was
ahead of time and Tom Hughes, who
was in charge Of the squad, called
Cooley by telephone at the ball park.
This is Williams of the State
league" he chirped into the telephone,
land I'VE got a pitcher want you to
try out. He's this years find. I tell
you, and can throw a. ball a hundred
yards fiat footed"
"Who is your pitcher?" the knight OF
the pool table inquired dryly.
He's a new one, never pitched ball
until last summer. He's over six feet
tall and has all the speed and control
in the world"
docs he wear clothes?" asked
Cooley.
Yes replied Hughes, but he
pitches in his bare feet and uses his
toe nails for spikes"
Bring him OUT" said Cooley. who
was nearly wild over the condition of
his pitching staff. Bring him out and
I'll try him. He isn't any crazier than
the rest of these fellows"
Recruit Catches "Robber.''
Abbott tells of a new center fielder
who made the training trip with a Chi
cago team one spring. The new center
fielder wasn't accustomed to the sleep
ing cars nor anything else. that was not
prevalent in his native heath But he
had the reputation Of making the
horsehde grunt every time the pitcher
threw it towards him and an attempt
was being made to teach him to play in
the field.
1.-The first night out we had an awful
time to get him to bed" says Abbott,
but he finally landed in his berth,
which was a lower, without accident.
After he had rolled from one side
to the other for awhile I talked with
the other fellows and decided that
what he needed to put him to sleep
was something to think about. Slip
ping into his berth I told him that
some one nearly always stole the
boys shoes at night. I told him that
it had been agreed he need not get
out of his berth the next day but that