Norwich bulletin., 1911-08-02

1 oESE6fALh sttnS
FOUND ~ ACCIDENT
Five Of the Greatest Were Discovered
just BY Sheer Luck.
Some of the greatest baseball play
ers the game has ever known have
been discovered by accident or sheer
luck. Five players have been picked
at random, but they stand among the
sertion
The men are the late Ed Delahanty,
probably the greatest and undoubt-
edly the hardest hitter who ever put
on pair of spiked shoes; Amos
Ruise, who many believe was the
greatest pitcher ever in the game;
Hans Wagner-by the way, his proper
name is John Paul Wagner; Frank
| Baker, Chief Bender and Jack Barry.
Amos Rusie began his ball career
indianapolis; when India panolis was
member of the 12-club National
league. This was back in the SIS.
Rusie was a pitcher. a powerful, husky
young giant, who had a world of
speed.
Jack Glasscock was playing short
stop on the Indianapolis National
league team at that time, and Jerry
Denny was holding down third base.
Glasscock was captain of the team.
He heard of Rusie's pitching, and one
Sunday took Denny and hiked out to
the City league park, where Rusie
played G1asscock watched the young
ster work and both he and Denny
were so impressed that Rusie was
taken downtown after the game.
The next day Rusie appeared at
the league park in an Indianapolis
uniform.
Ed Delehanty. the greatest of the
Delehanty baseball family, began on
the lots around Cleveland, his home
city. In 1886 some one told the
manager of the Wheeling, w. Va,
team that Delehanty was a great ball
player. Some days later Delehanty re-
ceived a letter offering him trial
with Wheeling.
The youngster didn't have any
money, and no transportation was en-
and made his way there by riding
freight trains and walking He was
an infielder. playing second base. and
he made good from the jump. In
1887 Philadelphia decided to give him
a trial, and along in the fall of that
year Delehanty made his major league
debut, succeeding Bastian, one of the
greatest players of his time, at second
base.
Hans Wagner owes his start in hAse-
was a good ball player, but everyone
thought Hans was too awkward to
amount to anything on the diamond.
Al was with Steubenville, owned and
managed by George Moreland at that
time, and Moreland wanted a pitcher.
Get my brother AL said.
s'Can he pitch?' Moreland asked
well, he can throw a ball mighty
fast Al replied, and Hans was wired
at Carnegie to report. His salary was
to be $35 a month. Wagner beat his
way from Pittsburg to Steubenville on
a freight train
The Steubenville team blew UP.
Mansfield wanted AL Wagner and
wired him at Steubenville. Al had
another job. SO he sent his brother.
Mansfield wanted a shortstop, and,
although he had been playing the
outfield. Hans switched to short. He
made good.
Ed Barrows was then managing the
Paterson, n. J., team and wanted
Wagner Kerr thought to make the
deal, but when Barrows explained 1T
was Hans he wanted. Kerr presented
him with the Flying Dutchman. Wag-
her made his big hit there Pittsburg
tried to buy him back, but he was
sold to- Louisville and he broke into
the big league with Fred Clarke in
the Falls city.
In 1904 Ty Cobb was begging for
chance with the team at Augusta Ga.
Con Strothers was managing the team.
Strothers gave Ty a chance and Ty
was canned because he jumped into
the air while running bases, knocking
down a ball which had been thrown
to catch him and was called out for
interference He drew his release
about twenty minutes later.
The next year Ty got another chance
with Augusta and made good. Owing
to an arrangement Augusta had with
Detroit, whereby the former team was
permitted to use Pitcher Eddie Cicotte,
with the understanding Detroit was to
get a good man at the end of the~sea-
son, Cobb became a Tiger in the fall
of 1905.
Connie Mack of the Athletics sent
Scout Al AIaule to Reading, Pa, to
look at catcher. Maule came back
to Philadelphia and reported to Man
ager Mack: That's good catcher,
Connie, but there's a youngster up
there who is going to plug up that
third back said Maule. His name
is Baker and he comes from Mary
land. He can field like a Cross; he
is fast; only a kid in years, but when
he hits that ball the flelders turn
their backs and run for the fence
Mack sent Maule back to Reading and
Connie landed third baseman who
has been a jewel.
Connie Mack signed Eddie Plank,
and on the same day he made a mem
tai note of Chief Bender, the great
Indian, for whispers had come to the
ear OF MACK Iudl b0uQGI was d pltCll-
er who would see service in the big
league.
4 thought it over lot before
signed Bender" says Mack, ''he was
so young but the instant I saw him
let a ball go with, the ease shooter
let's a barrel of shot fly at a bird,
nailed him.
Jack Barry. who is becoming the
star shortstop of the-league, was play
ing with Holy Cross when scout
wired Manager Mack he had secured
a player to fill in the gap left when
the peerless Monte Cross began to
falter. Barry, weighing 135 pounds,
arrived in Philadelphia, and presented
himself to Connie Mack. Mack was
stunned.
His scout was one of the best, and
he could not figure how he ever ex-
pected a little chap like Barry to
make good in the big league. The first
time Barry went out to practice Mack
watched him. He saw him scoop up
grounders as a hawk does the cloven-
winged robin. He turned to Harry
Davis and said: We'll, Harry. this
fellow has taken about eight years
worry off of my mind. Small as he
is, he'll grow, and he is a real short
stop. and if he can hit 200 he will
mate up with Eddie Collins like two