Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-07-02
Eight Year Men in
Big League Teams
Not Very Numerous
Only sixty-Five Show Up on the Com
bined Rolls of the Major
Organisations.

NEW YORK, July lone OF the laws or
organized professional bese ball provides
that between May 20 and August 20 OF each
season the sixteen clubs which comprise
the : erican and National leagues can
carry hut twenty five players on their
rosters This means that during the three
, nest Important months OF the campaigns
400 players are maintained on the salary
lists of the major league clubs % TINS
number nearly one-sixth--stxty-tive' TO De
exact-have been playing in the two prin-
cipai organizations OF the great outdoor
leagues for eight years and more
When the rack and tear on PHYSIQUE ana
mental powers by every day competition
for six mon,hs-the actual playing season.
il taken into consideration, this Is a large
percentaEe. When II Is also realized that
each spring some 800 odd ball players are
taken south for spring training by these
same sixteen clubs the percentage grown
lproportionately.
1t has been said by those who have made
a profession Of base ball for years that the
average life of the professional player IN
the two major leagues In four years. ms
can readily be understood when II Is re-
called how many athletes are drafted by
these clubs, taken south and the fail to
show caliber enough to Gust some seasoned
veteran from his regular berth. and are
sent back TO the minor leagues
This naturally makes the average life OF
the big Lacquer comparatively snort
one. II has another effect 1t casts greater
/ honor upon the sixty-flve players who have
yeathered the efforts OF younger men to
secure their positions. 1t makes eight years.
which nj first might appear insignificant.
lang while TO maintain a high standard OF
useful ability in what is one Of the most
severe OF all athletic professions.
Why have these men succeeded In 50
| nrolonning their active careersf The an
| swer Is condition. Capital training ana
| the fact that the players have maintained
a regular mode Of life during the off
| season account for the success OF the
| sixty-five according to their own versions
A a rule pitchers are the first to give
| way TO the wear and tear. Yet Mathew
son of the Giants. Mordecai Brown OF the
Cubs Patsy" Flaherty of the Boston Ma
tionais Long Tom Hughes OF washing
ton George Mullin and Bin Donovan OF
Detroit, Eddie Plank and Chief" Ben
der OF the Athletics, Charles Philippe and
| Sam" Lever of Pittsburg, George Wiltse
and Leon Ames of the Giants, not to for
get .'Cy'' Young of Cleveland, have wealth.
cred the ravages of time and are included
In the choice number.
"Cy' Young has been pitching since 1890.
twenty-one years, and has been actively
| affiliated with major, league base ball
| longer than any other man. Mathewson
has been pitching since 1900. eleven years.
| and is still conceded to be the peer or
them ALL Creiger. who was with the High
landers last season, began catching In 1880
In big league base ball. William Kssler
broke in In 1892. Napoleon Lajoie f.sysd
his first major league game on August II,
1896, and John 'Honus'' Wagner launched
his career in fast company on July 10. 1887.
The following are the men who have re-
manned in the American and National
leagues for eight years or more:
Giants-C Christopher Mathewson, John j.
McGraw, Leon Ames and George Wiltse.
Observation-Disclosures Hemphill.
Washington James McAleer, Norman
Elberfeld. wild Conroy, Tom Hughes
and Harry Gessler.
ST. Louis Browns-"Bobby" Wallace,
Jack Powell and Danny Hoffman.
st. Louis Cardinals-Roger Bresnahan.
Chicago Cubs-Frank Chance. James
Sheckard. John Eyers. Joseph Tinker,
Mordecai Brown, Clarence Beaumont and
Chicago White sox-wiIliam Sullivan,
| James Callahan, Harry White, Fred
Boston NatIonais-Fred Tenny. Patsy
| Flaherty and John Killing.
Boston Red Sox-"Pat" Donovan and
Philadelphia Nationals = Charles Doom,
John Titus, William Barnafield, "Pats
Moran. John Lobert Bob" Ewing and
Philadelphia Athletics--"Connie'' Mack.
Danny Murphy. "Topsy" HArtsel, Harry
Davis, Eddie Plank and Chief" Bender.
Pittsburg-Fred Clarke, Tommy Leach,
John Wagner Sam" Lever and Charles
i Philippe.
| Cincinnati-Clarke Griffith
| Brooklyn-"Bin" Dahlen, Harry Smith
4 and "Biil" Donovan and Davey Jonesk
Cleyeland-James Mcclure, "Cy'f Young
and Napoleon Lajoie -