Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1911-09-06
why CAMPBELL
LEFT BASEBALL
Midwinter Diamond Converse
lions Worried Him.
PESTERED BY FANS CHATTER

Wherever He Went Pittsburs Young
ster Was Quizzed by laxative Bugs
About National Pastime-Fred Clarke
Also a Talk Victim.
Nothing Is so nauseating to the ball
player as the pestiferous fan who In
sists upon talking to and making the
acquaintance Of every pill tosser. The
bug who calls the ball player by his first
maine on the street Is never liked by
the exponent Of the national pastime.
On the contrary, he is despised. The
travelling man who butts into the ball
PLAYERS conversation In the hotel lob
b, is lucky to get away without his
facial architecture materially changed.
But so long as the baseball is the ma
tional game SO long will the ball play
ers be pestered by the bugs.
We know o. one instance where
great young player gave up lucrative
position on the diamond because he
couldn't stand to be the target for an
endless amount Of inane questions shot
his way by the idol worshipers. The,
player in question was Vincent Camp
BELL WHO lately returned to the Pitts
burg club.
Campbell quit baseball at the wtndup
Of the 1910 season, after he had made
one of the greatest records Of any
young fielder in the game, simply be-
cause lie was obliged to talk "shop"
everywhere be went during the win
ter. Whether in a cafe, ballroom,
drawing room or OH the streets, Camp
bells friends invariably made baseball
the sole topic Of conversation when he
was around. 1t seemed as though
these friends" figured that unless
they talked baseball they would not
make hit with Mr.. Campbell.
Now. quite the contrary Is true. Had
they talked of reciprocity, Of which
Campbell knows little, he would have
been infinitely more pleased.
Or had they talked about logarithms
or anything else but baseball Vim
would be much more at home.
Campbell is not an exception. Rath-
er he Is the rule. Ball players
never want to talk "shop." They never
want to discuss "today's game" es-
pecially with a man who Is not play
err Occasionally ball player will
become much enthused with base
ball argument If some technical point
Of the game is involved. If he can talk
with q man who can converse intellt-
gently on the great game he is pleased,
but there are SC few who really know
baseball that a player is taking a
chance all the time.
Fred Clarke, manager Of the Pirates,
was driven to an obscure farm In Kan
sas by the pestiferous fan. Most ball
players who realize that they can
make bit Of money out of baseball
hike to farm in the OF season SIM
ply to avoid the laxative bug. Many
players like Campbell quit the game
rather than be pestered to death with
the lifeless arguments Of their alleged
friends and admirers.
When Campbell was requested to
rejoin the Pirates in st. Louis recent
Is he was asked why be didn't report
at the start Of the season.
Didn't you like your contractT said
Clarke to the young broker.
"Yes," was Campbell's reply.
"Well, didn't you like the playersT
continued Clarke
"Yes," was Campbelrs answer.
whats the matter, them" demand
ed Clarke.
"Well," said Campbell, Il can't stand
to be talking baseball all winter"
That's my fix exactly" said Clarke
II can't stand the bugs, so every win
ter / hike away to farm In Kansas.
The fans have driven me to that farm,
for I refuse to have my peace Of mind
upset oil winter"