The Washington times., 1911-03-20
FIRST BASE HOPE
FOR JOIN HENRY
Amherst Man. Who Never Had Any Real Sandlot Expert
ences, But Much of the College Life on the Da-
mond, Proving Good at Atlanta
By SENATOR"

ATLANTA, Ga, March Gone
of the best players in the Ma
tionals squad, as well as one of the
Youngest and least experienced is John
Henry, the Amherst College boy, who
Joined the club last season fresh from
college. So startIingly good has beer
his work at Atlanta that it is not a
safe bet that he won't supplant John
Somerlott on first base. Jimmy Nc
Aleer is giving him a complete tryout
at first, and If he decides to play him
there, another catcher will be obtained,
and Jack Lelivelt sent to the garden.
Henry, filled with animal spirits and
rejoicing that he is alive and able to
jump around, never had what might be
called real sandlot days. He comes frorl
the little town of Amherst, nestled
among the hills of western Massachu-
setts. and as soon as he was able enter
ed Amherst College in his home town,
becoming the mines crack catcher and
attracting the attention of Mike Kahoe,
scout for the Nationals. Then, almost
ct one bound he was a major Lacquer.
Did l ever play on the sandlots'"
says Henry, We'll, no, not in the sence
usually given the word II it means
playing on unorganized teams. why, yes,
I've done. that. l guess everybody does
who ever plays the game at all
When 1 was a kid I used to play
at home. No, we didn't have any regu-
lar team. We used to choose sides, and
just play ball. that's all. When l en-
tered college l went out for the team,
and, that was really the first team /
ever played with.
Backstop on Varsity Team.
Il learned something about the game
at Amherst, and finally became back
stop on the varsity. ] felt pretty good,
too, when / caught my first game for
the varsity. But regular sandlot ex-
perience, guess I never had any OF
that.
However, 1 played ball up in the
White mountains one summer, up ir
Fabyans. That was a funny experience
A lot of college players go to the noun
tains every summer to play ball. l got
SIS a week up there just to sit around
in a boiled shirt and whitewings six
days in the week, and play ball one day.
Besides that magnificent salary l got
my board and all my laundry done up
free. l was one of the crack players
with the hotel team, and that meant
being a hero. l guess. But that's the
only sandlot experience I've ever had
may get some more, though, unless
I make good in this league.
"AII through the mountains the vari-
Gus hotels have baseball teams, and
they play Cor the White mountain cham
pionship. Ny team did not win the
championship when 1 was with it. It's
pretty good ball up there, too. Some
times a hotel manager will send to Bos-
ton or New York for a professional
pitcher, and some of the best college
pitchers can be found playing there ur-
der assumed names.
The playing fields don't amount to
much, particularly the outields. An
outfieIder has to be something or
goat to make good up there, for half
the time he is running up the side or
a hill to land a flv.
Il had a soft time OF it playing up
there in New Hampshire, but that was
only preparatory. A player never real
ICES baseball was such a serious prop
osition until he has played a few games
with a big league team. Then his eyes
are opened"