El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-02-25

~ ROM worlds championship fame
to oblivion within a Il month
Il was the unprecedented record OF
the old Detroit club Of 1887. In the
1855 we got a good start in the race
for the pennant and everything Went
nicely until the 9th of July. AT thar
time we had the field strung out and
we were three games to the good.
Then something broke 1t may have
heen had luck. but bad luck does not
usually follow a good team so persist
entity. We lost 16 straight games and
if took the crimp out of US Things
went from bad to worse. People wouIo
not patronize US either at home or on
the road The players were put up al
auction and sold to the highest bid
ders. Sam Thompson went to Phila-
delphia; Rowe and White to Plttsburg
Bennett, Camel, Brouthers and myself
were disposed of to Boston Thus pass
ed the /Detroit's worlds champions OF
1887. in many respects the greatest
bunch of athletes ever assembled in
one club.
Almost Made Good.
Rv the way. it was at the expense of
Boston the club to which l was later
sold. that Detroit broke its long los
ing streak Getzine pitched for US that
day. He had vowed some time prevl-
he would drop dead. And he almost
kept his word. AS the last man was
retired Getzine took a back fall In
doing so, he struck the back of his
head with such force that he was rem
dered unconscious for some hours. 1t
was feared at first that he had frac-
tured his skull.
But, if we made q sorry showing af-
ter q good start that year we sure had
lots of fun getting the start. We train
ed in the spring at Mobile, Ala. There
we met a raotd fan named Jack Hoop
er who had cleaned up $50, 900 in bets on
us against the st. Louis Browns the pre-
ceding fall At least he said he had
done so and as he always had plenty
of money with him we didn't think 1t
necessary to argue. He wanted to blow
the players to a wine supper every
night we were there. But, of course,
manager Watkins set his foot down
hard on the proposition. Watty couldn't
see how such generosity could Improve
our batting eyes.
But HOOPER was determined to show
his appreciation Of our valor and Of
fered to pay all the expenses OF con-
Quoting a monster benefit game for us.
Not having enough players to make up
two teams we had to draft some local
talent Watkins was manager and
Hanlon was captain OF one SIDE, HOOP
er managed the other nine which I cap
tained. Hanlon and Hooper tossed for
choice of players and naturally Han
lon got the better team. When the
game started It looked like a hundred
to one shot for our chances. But we
had lots of luck, played above our
speed, perhaps, and managed to hold
the issue a tossup all the way. At the
end of the ninth inning the score, stood
at 1 to 1 tie Hanlon's team couldn't
score in the 10th. There were two out
for us when Thompson cracked out
two-bagger The next ball was hit to
Sheibeck, but he slipped as he started
for 1t and it rolled past him for a
base knock. L have often seen excited
fans. But this man Hooper had every
one beaten 40 ways. He blew US to
the greater dinner he could buy and
insisted in adding a handsome sum to
our several portions from the receipts.
I do not think that any Of us viii ever
forget Jack Hooper.
The Next Year.
In Boston the following year those
Of us who were sold to that club came
in contact with some of the best base
ball men the country has ever pro-
duced. James A. Hart was manager.