The Detroit times., 1910-12-02
ONCE
PITCHED 27 GAMES s
AND LOST BUT ONE
GREATEST PITCHER OF ALL TIME HUNG OUT
RECORD FOR CONSECUTIVE EFFORT NEVER
EVEN CLOSELY APPROACHED.

IL can win the flag, all right" said
he, quietly, and In a matter-offact
tone.
And then followed the most remark
able battle for a penant that the
world has ever seen.
Radbourne then established rec
ord that has never been equaled, one
that will i've when more expensive
contests will have been blissfully Tor
gotten In twenty-seven consecutive
games Radbourne won twenty-six or
them. In four games with Boston he
had three shut-outs; only one run was
scored, and only seventeen hits were
made. This defeat was suffered at the
hands OF Buffalo by score OF To y,
and even then only five hits were made
off him, showing that the defeat was
not due To poor pitching. Needless 10
say, Providence won the pennant, or
rother, Radbourne won the pennant.
overwork Cost His Arm.
But the great player had to pay the
price. No arm could stand that 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 appear
ance and would begin the excruciating
process OF limbering up. He could
pitch the ball only few feet when
he would first 60 out; but he would
keep on trying. time after time. rub
bling his arm with his left hand. Some
times his face would be drawn up Into
contortions. but never a word OF COM
plant 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; patiently on the
bench waiting for his arm to get into
condition. When he was able to throw
from second to home base, rousing
cheer would go up. for they knew
that meant the winning OF the game
for them.
Refused To Take Release.
After Radbourne's great season with
Providence. managers all over the
country were ON his heels. Flattering
offers poured in. and he was not I'M
der contract with Providence Tor the
next season, either. When the con-
test was over the late Ned Allen.
president OF the team that season SEM
for Radbourne. He laid the re,aass
before him, and close beside IL a
blank contract. Radbourne looked at
them both for several minutes, and
then slowly took up a pen and filed
the blank out for sum only little
higher than he had been getting. and
tore up the release. Allen almost
fell on his neck and wept for joy.
Radbourne's last year in baseball
was with Cincinnati in 1891, but 1t
was a sad year II seems a pity that
the career OF so great ball player
should have ended so sadly. That
year his work showed great deteriora-
ton for the awful strain made In 1894
was beginning to tell on his arm. NJ
the end of the season he was too
proud TO go into minor league base
ball. and so entirely withdre from the
game. He returned to Bloomington,
where he opened billiard hall. He
had little to say, and In unwinking
silence would sit In corner and
watch the young men laugh as they
played. He would talk about himself
only when cornered, and then only a
few short words. hHad always
been an ardent fisherman. hunter and
sportsman. but he gave up the open
life. Each year his tactiturnity in
creased. until he became almost sui
len.
After a time he gave up his billiard
hall and retired into the obscurity OF
his home, seldom letting peopl esee
him. At last, in 1897. when he was
81 years old, he fell Ill and soon pass
ed away. Even when he was on his
death bed. few Of his friends knew
that he was ILL., The bitterness or
seniiity had gripped him unrelentins'
ly.
And so lived and passed away the
great Hercules of baseball.
(Copyright, 1910. by the National
Game Publishing Coz