Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1911-06-22

enough for me- and since the directors
left it to my judgment, l made no
changes in the nine the next year.
That l made no mistake was the YER
dict of all the fans when we came in
with the pennant second time. AS
before, our success was due to our
strong batting and really great team
work. During the entire season we
played as one man, having but one OBJ
ject in view-the capture of the cham
pionship. Not man of the nine per-
mitted himself to indulge in an at
tempt to do record playing, and sac
rifice hitting was the order whenever
point could be made in that way.
The race was an unusually exciting
one. Rather early in the season it be-
came apparent that the contest be-
tween the four leaders might leave
the result in doubt until the very last
week. 1t turned out exactly that way
and the entire country waited the out
| come with bated breath. When the
end came our record was Sc games
| won and % lost, against our most
which won Al games and lost 81.
Personally, had every reason to
smile all over. Once again l led the
batting list, with an average of 1893.
| and l stood at the head of the first
basemen, with .975 opposite my name.
When the time cane to make up the
team for the following season, 1882, l
couldn't for the life of me see any
good reason to make single change.
The other clubs in the league, all OF
them, had but one object in life-to
snatch that pennant from my team
and me, and 1 argued that the boys
who had kept the championship in
more likely to repeat the trick than
bunch of fresh ones who were new
to me and my ways. So all the other
clubs went to their utmost limit in
strengthening their teams but just
left mine as it was.
From start to finish the race that
season was hot one. Honors were
so equally divided during most of the
summer that the fans were kept guess
ing and the betting in the pool rooms
was something unprecedented. l want
to tell you that there wasn't the faint
est suspicion of crookedness on the
part of a single player the whole sea
son. AS a result of the fierce rivalry
between the teams, banner crowds
greeted the players everywhere
Wherever we appeared that year the
bleachers and grandstands were
packed to their utmost capacity, ant
sometimes there was hardly enough
room on the grounds to play the
game. An era of baseball prosperity
had come for sure, and all the club:
were making money.
Again we won. We played "a games
victor in SIS and losers in 20. Again
Providence was close at our heels ant
Buffalo not great way behind. Bos
ton jumped from sixth to fourth ant
showed signs of returning vitality
My personal record was not so fiat
tering as usual. Brouthers of thu
Buffalo club headed the batting lis
with 1863, while ! came second witt
1857. When we returned home
seemed as If the entire population o
the Windy City had turned out to we
come U.S. The enthusiasm was S,
great that nothing was too good TO
the men who for the third time hai
made Chicago the baseball center q
the universe.
There was just one thing that intel
fered with my perfect enjoyment c
the situation-before we set out O
that campaign William A. Hubert, GU
president and the founder of tn
league, one Of the best friends eve
had either in or out of the profession
passed out of this life. In the mids
OF the glad hurrah that greeted u
on our return 1t saddened us to n
member that the man who had don
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