The San Francisco call., 1910-10-27

VERNON LEADER IS
MAKER OF HISTORY
Ball Players Come and Go, but
Hap Sticks in the
Game

Hundreds of ball players have come
and gone to and from the Pacific Coast
league since it sprang into being, but
none Of them has done so much to help
make baseball history in this western
land as Happy Hogan. He's known all
over the coast as Hogan, but he never
votes under that name and he doesn't
sign it when he; writes a check. either.
Off the ball field he is Wallace Bray,
but be this as it may, the baseball fans
don't care much. He's Happy Hogan
to them, and that's all.
! This same Hogan never played ball in
any other leagues save she Coast and
eight years ago and he has been on the
| job ever since. True, he has switched
| his affections from one club to another
| on numerous occasions. but he never
wandered away from the reserve. And
/ the chances are that he never will un-
| less he is chased away. and who would
ever think of chasing Happy?
Hogan was discovered by that mighty
man of many callings, Mike Fisher.
| Eight years ago, when Mike broke into
baseball as a magnate by bowling to the
| fans as the head of the old Sacramento
club, he had many troubles They
shipped lemons to Mike from all parts
of the country, and in his desperation
to get a baseball team together he was
| forced to accept them.
While Mike did lay in stock Of
! lemons, he also picked up few jewels
and one of these was Hogan. Mike did
not know anything about Hogan and
neither did anybody else. But Hogan
was a good booster for himself so he
came up to Mike one day in May, 1902,
| and asked for a job.
"Who are you and what can you do
on a ball team?" quizzed Mike to Ho-
gan, at the same time biting off piece
| of tobacco and then sticking the plug
| back in his pocket without asking Hap
| by to cut in.
MY names Hogan and I am a bear
on a ball team, no matter where you
put me-, returned Happy, throwing out
| his chest and looking into Mikes eye.
We'll, then, go ahead and get into
| the game tomorrow" said Fisher. IT'S
| a cinch that you can't be any worse
| than some of those buns who are eat
| ing up my bankroll and making every
| body laugh at me-
| The game next day was to be played
! in Oakland and Happy butted right in
with the rest of the gang, picked out
suit for himself and then took his or
ders to play in center field
That game was a 19 inning affair, the
record for several years. Sacramento
was playing against Oakland, which
was the champion aggregation of the
| league then. Happy was full of fire.
pepper and ginger for about eight in.
nings, but when the ninth passed and
then the tenth and then the eleeenth,
and SO on up to the nineteenth. Happy's
spirits began to droop, for every once
and a while he would realize that he
had not made a hit.
At the finish of the game Happy was
ready to put pair of window weights
in his pocket and walk off the Oak
land long wharf. He had been at bat
eight times and he did not make hit.
He went to Fisher for some consola
ton, but when Fisher saw him coming
he only ran. He thought Hogan was
| looking to make a touch. He had in
tended to release Hogan after that
game, but he dare not stop for fear
that the recruit would nail him for
piece of money. and Mike was having
a tough time getting by.
After being with the team few days
Happy discovered that they were in
need of a catcher. Could he catch?
Why, of course he could He just
hustled on the big pad and the mask
and the big mitt and went to work.
AS all the fans will remember, Sac
it built up strong team forsnext sea-
son and Happy Hogan got raise and
Happy Hogan was a near captain and
good catcher and several other
things.
The next year Fisher transferred his
team to Tacoma and won the pennant
of that league. He had Charley Graham
and Overall and Nordyke and Bobby
Keefe and Pearl Casey and Mike Lynch
and the irrepreSSibIe Hogan.
In 1905 Tacoma did not win the pen
nant but it finished second, and Hogan
was even more in evidence. BY that
time everybody in three states knew
him and he knew everybody and he
used tc stop and talk to everybody
whether he was on or off the ball field.
He had established his reputation and
had become fixture in the Coast
league.
The following year was the year of
the fire and Happy, like many OF the
others, found it difficult to make both
ends meet. But after the shuttle he
wound up with Los Angeles and he
became just as solid with the fans in
the south as he was with those in the
| north. He was with the Angels for
| three years and then the ambition of
| his life was realized. He was appointed
! a real live manager Of a real live ball
| club.
| When Happy became manager of the
| Vernon club he was handicapped and
| his team finished at the bottom of the
heap last season. But Happy was used
/ to disappointmentS and Instead of quit
| ting he kept plugging along. Now he
| has his team in third place and 1t looks
| as though it will finish there. Not bad
for a manager the second year out.