Norwich bulletin., 1911-09-15

service Tommy Cahill. l was put to
it for catcher and began skirmishing
around for man who would fit into
the place.
Casually reading the paper the eve
ming of my trouble, ] noticed an ac-
count of a game between. the Lee
hightons and some other team, in
which a young man by the name of
Jennings, who caught. seemed to be
the whole show. He had fifteen put.
outs and four or five base hits, home
run among them. I rushed to tele-
graph Office and sent hurry-up call
to his home in Moosic, little mining
town six miles from Scranton, asking
him if he would not join my Louis
vile team.
1t did not take long for his affirma-
tive to get back.
I wired in return that ! would give
him $175 month if he proved salts
tory and directed him to answer me
at Boston. and for him to report at
Louisville. When We got back to
Louisville this young man reported at
the Fifth avenue hotel.
I will have to admit that l was
disappointed in his looks, for his gen
era1 appearance was somewhat YER
dant 1t was with fear and trem
bling that [ watched him at his first
try-out, for / had begun to think that
I had invested in sailed mine.
But the moment he got glove on
his hand he was another man. A sim
pie mitt worked wonders with him.
I had no chance to work him out be
hind the bat, though. as Ryan had
come around all right. until First
Baseman Taylor was injured. Here
an opportunity for my new man to
show what stuff he was made of.
Jennings l said to him, '.yon will
have to go out to first, as there is nc
one else who can play the bag.
salT I,o r11
have never played the position in my
life and fear that I'cannot fill the bill.
You'll have to try your hand at il,
told him. Il have no one else at all.
'-All right; I'll do >the best can
Things began to happen. He ticl1led
the crowd by the way he pulled down
the high sailers, reached for wild ones
and dug balls out of the dirt. His
best was amply good. l might add
that I was tickled too.
He covered the base for a week.
When Taylor recovered, though. Jeh-
nings had to be relegated to the bench.
But soon our shortstop, Cahill. was
taken i'll, and l approached our new
man and told him that he would have
to give shortstop whlri.
Jennings ] said to him. you will
have to go to short.
But, Mr.. Chapman he begged, Il
have never played the position in my
life
do what you cam | urged.
I'll do my best" replied he.
Again the crowd was tickled. He
covered more ground than any man I
ever saw in my life. He went after
everything; errors never troubled him;
he seemed born for the place. Again
I was tickled, and began to look at
my cate hout of the corner of my eye
and to rub my hands when he was
not around.
Jennings had earned the right 10 be
called sHughie
I wish to say in this connection
that Jennings was not down and out
when sold to Baltimore. as has so
often been reported. He has never
been on the ragged edge. From the
very first leap he has been a top
notcher.
I quit Louisville after the season of
1892, Billy Barring being my successor.
He sold Jennings and Taylor to Han
lon The accession of Jennings helped
in a large measure to enable Balti
more to be the pennant winner.
Jennings came from one of the best
families of Moosic, Pa, his father be-
ing a most respected citizen. Hughie
had to work in coal mine and many
long day has he toiled away in the
bowels of the earth. But all this time
he was attending night school in
Scranton. He has always had de-
sire to have an education and has
worked HdfU Will tIldl emu III view.
After he joined Baltimore he again
took up his school work, going to
Bonaventure college in New York
state. Soon Jennings went to Cor
nell to coach the baseball team. re-
ceiving for his efforts tuition and liv-
ing expenses. He continued his study
here for some time. soon entering the
law department, from which he later
received his degree. He was admit
I'd to the Baltimore bar and took up
his practice in the city of Baltimore,