Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-21
OMEGA. CHARACTER
kid" Gleason a Star Player
With Many Unique Methods.
ALWAYS HARD AS NAILS
Was the Toughest Scrapper and
Could Lick Two Ordinary
Players.

PHILADELPHIA. December 2I-When
the telegraph wires during the recent base
ball meeting in New York hummed the
news to the four corners of the nation
that Kid Gleason had been appointed as
coach of the Chicago White Sox. Philadel-
phians smiled in congratulation to Will
liam. and sympathized audibly or in
silence with the Windy city rockies.
Philadelphia knows Kid Gleason well,
and base ball has a peculiar volume in its
annals to deal entirely with William He
was the toughest scrapper in the an
nails of base ball, hard as nails, and could
lick any two ordinary FASTENERS merely
as an appetizer for breakfast. Stories
about the Kid are as plentiful as those
regarding any quaint querulous or
curious character in the great Ameri-
can frolic.
The advent of Gleason into base ball
coming with the passing of Elberfeld
shows the pecularities connected with
the pastime The former stepped out OF
the Phillies' roster n year or more ago.
and now returns with the other league.
Gleason had such remarkable career
that little glance into his past is in
teresting. Kid was a fighter through and
through, not only professionally, but
artistically. He was a player for close
to twenty years. an honor he shared with
Cap Arson and Cy Young.
Started as Pitcher.
The kid started as a pitcher and finally
developed into a second baseman when
the hurting wing became a trifie halt
and lame. In this capacity he played
with the Phillies number of years; in
fact, he was the immediate predecessor
of Otto knabe at the midsack, the lat
ter's- appearance winding up Gleason's
active career as a base baller.
Gleason was a splendid player. He
could stand the hardest bumps at second.
No matter how fast they came, no mat
ter how big they were. no matter how
fierce they tried, no matter how sharply
they spiked, the Kid was there and on
the job.
Tales of his fistic triumphs read like
a record of champion He would
rather fight than eat, but he was no
bully He could scrap Ike a tiger, but
lie never imposed : on "a brother player.
He could battle like bulldog. but he
never was extensively aggressive. But
woe betide the man who tried to NIX
it with the Kid
He was the soul of good nature when
in quiescent state. But once aroused
and he was as charming as bulldog.
a
marked degree.
The ..Phillies We're coming. .northward
after a spring training "trip some years
ago, and stopped off at one of the south
ern cities, to tackle the local talent repre-
senting that city in one of the minor do
all leagues.
Team Composite.
The team was composite one, with
a former big Lacquer in the outfed and
a typical college man as one of the in
fieiders. The old major player knew
Kid Gleason-the rah-rah lad did not.
The latter was on first and started to
steal second with the Pitchers windup.
The catcher shot the ball down to 1
Gleason. who laid the ball artisticalfy
and heavily on the only portion of the
slider's anatomy he could reach. The
latter objected strenuously and proceed
ed to tell Gleason what he would do to
him if he tired that stunt again. The
Kid smiled and made no answer. Mr..
Collegian went back to the bench, and
began TO tel What he would do to
Gleason
Son. said the ex-leaguer, your fami-
ly like you pretty well. don't they?'' =.
YES said the collegian, but what
the blaxes has that to do with 1t ?"
'Oh. not much" responded the ex-
Lacquer, "only that little runt out there
Is Kid Gleason, that's all
There was no battle.
Gleason should be an excellent man to
help Jimmy Callahan in the work of de-
velop.ng young players He knows the
game from every angle. can separate the
lads with the granite domes from those
who will make good and IS a splendid
aid. The KID is q natural tutor, and he
can hammer in base ball if the tutored
does not have the necessary ambition to
stimulate Inn.
Anyway. the Gleason appointment is
q berth for good fellow and which is
the ideal one for the KID to fill.