The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1910-07-18
How THREE BALL
STARS MADE GOOD

This story might be called kicked
Into Fame and Fortune" but 1t has
10 do with the accidental discovery
of three of the greatest second base
men the baseball world has known,
and Is an attempt to tell how they
have risen to the heights OF being
numbered among the best in the game
from obscure positions In life, which
they might still be adorning but for
their accidental discovery
The mon are Larry Lajoie OF tho
Maps, Johnny Evers of the Cubs and
Larry Doyle of the New York Giants
] think everyone will agree that these
three are the real goods among the
big league second sackers. But they
didn't begin lie as ball players
Johnny Evers worked In a collar
factory In his home town. Troy, \.
\, and he was paid s. per week tor
his labors. Iajoie drove a cab at
Providence, r, J., and Doyle was
breaker boy In the Illinois coal
mines.
Evers story, as he tells II himself,
Is one OF the real romances of base
hall. Johnny decided one day tha.
Le was worth $3.50 per week and he
so informed the manager OF the col
lar factory. Instead of the salary iu-
crease the youngster was slipped tho
boot.
This happened ono morning just
before the noon hour shutdown, and
EVers hiked out TO the Troy ball
park to watch the Troy team prac-
tice. a fellow named Bacon was
managing Troy then, and he asked the
youngster If he wouldn't like TO prac-
tice. EverS got into the practice and
his work was so impressive that he
was signed on the spot
Jack Hardy. who occasionally
breaks into the game for Washing,
ton now when Street feels the need
OF a rest. was catching for Troy that
season. and his work SO impressed
the Chicago National team that he
was drafted Eyers was sent along
for good measure. tagged TO be re-
turned II he couldn't hit the big
league gait.
The rest of 1t is history, Evers.
sent along just for good measure.
developed into what many believe TO
be the greatest second paseman the
game has known. No man In base.
ball can think and act as quick as the
little second sacker of the Cubs, and
Ii was Johnny's noodle which beat
the New York Giants out OF a PEN
nant Harry is now change catch
er for the Washington club in the
american league.
Lajoie d Cab Driver
Lajoie played ball on the lots
around Providence when he wasn't
busy soliciting trade for his cab, and
his work impressed a Providence man
who got the big Frenchman try
out with the Fall River team OF the
New England league
Larry was first baseman then
Phil Geier was also with Fall River
at the time and Geler was one real
sensation The Philadelphia Nationals
wanted Geier and the Fall River man
agement threw ia LaJoie for good
measure. Larry stuck.
AT first Larry was kept on first
base and then sent to second. where
he quickly developed Ito one of the
real wonders of the game, and In
team composed OF mighty swattcrs
was right up In the first flight with
the war club. Geler Is now playing In
the bushes some place, but Larry is
stll ont of the sensations of tho
game He has lost neither his cum
ming In the field nor his skill with
the bat, as Is attested by his yearly
batting average. The Frenchmen il
known as tho most graceful man Ia
baseball He makes the most diff
cult stops and makes them so skill |
fully that half of the time the fans
don't realize or appreciate just how |
difficult the play was.
When Tom Kinsella. owner Of the
Springfield club in the Three l |
ioague, discovered Larry Doyle. the |
future New York Giant star was
working Ia the Illinois coal mines and |
playing Sunday ball with small
team With the Springfield team |
Doyle became the sensation OF the
Three league. John McGraw. always
on the lookout for promising young
sters, paid fancy price for the play
er and transferred him TO New York