Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-03-15
iECAN HAS FAITH
INJ0SEPh LINK
BstlEvka oTTuMWA CATCHER
WILL FuLLoW IN FOOTSTEPS
OF JIMMIE ARCHER.

IA Joe Link, the chief back stop OF
the OttuMwa club, Manager Ned
Nxan believes he has player who IS
bound to 20 higher. All last season
tEgan had IAN anxious eye out Tor JOS,
lephus. and the Ottumwa club received
'overtures from the, then willy Burning
ton boss for the services Of Link. 1t Is
4 expected thot under the tutorship OF
Egan, Link will this year show Signs
OF developing into the best catcher III
the Central association. which means
that he will. go higher.
i Many think Joe Link has future IN
store for him similar to that OF Jl1nmle
Archer. formerly catcher TOT uie
Boone team, and now the chief back
stop Of the Chicago Cubs. 1t was luck
that made Archer a catcher, but IL was
not luck that developed such clever
! catcher out Of him.
years ago he found himself upon the
payroll Of the Atlanta (Ga) team.
How he happened to become a. mem
Der of that band is a mystery whlcn
he does not attempt to solve. Nor did
ne at that time. He was content then
Ito ret whatever was coming to him az
the first OF each and every month.
Nor would he have kicked If the sum
had been small. Looking back. ne mas
an idea that the manager must nave
mistaken him for some other man OF
traded for him insight and unseen
Nevertheless, he arrived In Atlanth.
What. position do you play lne
manager queried-
"I'm an outflelder," answered Ar
H;t ,oa3 in Thirteen Games.
So he was-in those days Wen,
they put him in the outfieid. Catcn
flies? Yes. A. good wing? Answer ~ ~
the affirmative, as you VIII .eseit ata
".
Not a lick. -. 900
In the thirteen games he hit .osS.
Fate. indeed, was treating this youns
ballplayer pretty rough. But. no rough
er than the manager. AND mia com
pared to the players. /.
"You will go behind the bat. today,
he saidsto Jimmy: when the flelu was
"Me oatoh7" queried Jimmy
wen, you can't do anything else, SO
don't see that you need to KICK was
the retort.
Archer was catcher. He caught
that afternoon. He caught every otner
afternoon. Wasn't It queer way fate
had Of finding the spot Wnero ArcAAeA
And the same fate crossed and dou-
be crossed him once more. A!tef
catching in Atlanta he went to Pitts
burg. He was chased back to the MIN
ors and then went to Detroit. 1t was
here that he and fate mixed again.
MANY managers have an Idea that
the great catchers should take step
forward before they throw. You watch
Archer carefully and he stands IN his
tracks and whips the ball to second.
Hs saves the time that it requires IN
taxing; the step toward the base.
Now, Manager Jennings was OF the
opinion that no man could stand nat
footed and whip that ball on the long
throw. Archer did In the morning
practice.
mo. like this" JENNINGS would say.
Then he would take his position be-
hind tho plate. He would catch the
ball, take a stop >forward and illustrate
the throw. Oh. no. He didn't throw
to second. That would have been
more realistic. But impossible
Jennings.
WeI. Archer tsisd and tried. But he
couldn't He shortened his step and
he fengthenxds It. But he could not
throw with the accuracy that he did
when he stood fat-footed and slammed
to second.
Later Jennings let him go and
Chance picked him up.
Manager DOOM Of the Phillies is
figuring on carrying the limit OF
TWENTY-FIVE players through the year,
which means that he will prOba bly,