Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-01-03
ANOTHER LOCAL
MAN WITH CHICAGO

Another young ball tosser who started
his career playing amateur ball in WASH
ington will be found in big company next
year. When Johnnie Beall Joined the
Technical High School team in Washing
ton in the spring of 1903 his work was not
of a character to create any particular
sensation or to secure him black-type no
toriety in the sporting journals. He was
rather clumsy and ungainly in his actions.
but he had the grit and stamina. In the
same year he played with the Government
Printing Office team OF the old Depart
mental League. doing most Of the back
stop work and holding down one of the.
outer gardens. Again In 1904 he played
with Technical High School, and his
stickwork contributed largely to that
team winning the District High School
pennant. He finished the season with the
Gurley club Of the Church League, and
also played few games with the strong
Commissioners team.
In 1905 Beall had a busy year. He
Joined the Commissioners club and also
played with Mount Pleasant Congrega-
tiopal Church. tn csc teams played only
a few games month, and Beall signed
with the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
Company's club, composed for the most
part of semi professionals. His work with
this team attracted the attention of
Hughey Jennings, then managing the
Baltimore club. of the Eastern League,
and the willy Jennings lost no time in Sc
curing Beall's signature to a contract.
He played in the outfield until Jennings
secured a regular man for the place. The
Baltimore manager wanted Beall to re-
main utility man, but he decided that
he did not want to remain out OF the
game. and returned to his home, near
Beltsyile, Prince George county, Md,
where he remained until August l. when
he went to B'rostburg of the Cumberland
Valley League, ~alishing the season be-
hind the bat and hittfns-uke fiend. He
returned home in time to get tne
Church League series in washington,
where he hit for over 500.
In 1905 Bean received several good of
fers to play ball, but declined them all
and went 10 work for the Crawford PaV-
ing Company in this city. In 1907 he was
called to Chicago by the Crawford COM
pany, where he became interested in semi
professional ball. and secured place on
one of the travelling teams about August
/, and finished the season. At the begin
ming of 1908 Beall signed with Callahan's
Logan Square semi-professionals, and in
batting led the league of which that CLUB
was member. This gained him base
ball fame in and about Chicago, and
september last he was persuaded to al
fix his signature to a contract to play
the outfield next year for the White Sox
of the American League.
Beall is about twenty-five years Of age,
powerfully built and his habits are eX-
emplary. He weighs nearly 200 pounds.
He is a natural hitter and swings from
the south side. He is very speedy, and
many of his safeties are recorded on balls
hit to the infield as though shot from a
rifle, and are not handled cleanly. Beall
lives with his parents on a farm near
Beltsvile, few miles from Washington,
where he was born and reared amid the
peaceful environments of country life.
The writer had an interesting talk few
days ago with the young White Sox, who
is home for the holidays. He possesses
modest disposition and preferred that
nothing be said about him except the
mere fact that he had been signed by the
Chicago Americans. Speaking Of the
next years Washington team, Beall ex-
pressed the opinion that Cantillon's herd
looked mighty good to him, and he pre-
dicted that it would finish in the flrst
division. He declared that Johnson was
an artist in the purest sense of the term.
While playing with Callahan's club he
faced Johnson, and thinks he comes
pretty near being the star twirler of the
country. He referred particularly to the
delivery of the Washington star as being
of very deceptive nature the ball COM
ing over the plate with terrific speed
without any apparent effort. The same
movement is made for all Of Johnsons
various assortment Of benders, and this.
declares Beall, is one of the reasons why
he is such wonder.