The Washington herald., 1911-07-30

ket, the Phillies finally purcha sing him
for $50, the prise Of an average Class D
player Of fair promise.
The first inkling as to Alexander's worth
came in the spring series with the Ath-
letics. when the young phenom held
, Macks champions to three hits and beat
them handily.
His advent has made the Phillfes a
stout championship contender In games
worked to date young Alexander has won
seventeen and lost Eve In addition to
this he has stepped in repeatedly and
saved the day for other slabfnen. He has
kept his team IN the hunt.
Any manager or club owner in the busi-
ness would cheerfully expend $4,000 for
talent that would make tie team a pen
nant contender. The Fnrlies got OF with
sNe payment. and this Investment has
to date brought over $4,000 into the treas
ury tnat otherwise would have been miss
ing. Before the year is over that $50 will
bring In an additional s5O.GNe to the Phila-
delphia club, possibly more. which is
pretty fair per cent when You stop to
think II over.
According to the Nestor of ball players.
Cy Young, the grandest man who ever
walked this green footstool was Chief
thinner. at one time first catcher for
figure of national prominence in base
ball
Cy, here with the Maps. was discussing
his debut as a big league pitcher. 1t
was called 10 mind Youngs inability to
find a Cleveland shirt large enough to
contain his proportions, and Young re-
membered that he had gone into the box
that day with a Canton lettering across
his breast for that very reason.
81 I reneD1har
happened that day. though it's so many
years ago that I hate to figure it up,'
said Cy. The thing that stands out
most vividly, though. was the fact that
/ crossed Chief thinner in a PINCH
handing him a curve ball when he had
called for a fast one. Zimmer got the
ball squareiy on his bare hand. Then he
started for the box.
Il expected to get a good call-down.
In fact / wouldn't have been surprised
II thinner had started by swinging his
right. Here / was, a green kid, pulling
on a bonehead that might have laid up
one of the leagues star catchers. I'll re-
member my surprise to my dying day
when thinner said:
Now, look here. young fellow. you
must learn to watch my signs a little
closer. 1 called for a fast one and you
gave me a curve. A thing like that
might have lost us the game. You're
just starting in. Now, please watch what
tell you to pitch, and il you're bound
to pitch something different, let me know
about it. You're doing finely. Just re-
member and II will help you win a lot
Of games you'd lose otherwise
Surprised. was I? Well, slightly. And
/ made up my mind right there that the
finest man God had ever created was
my catcher. Chief thinner don't
know that I've ever really changed my
mind, either. thinner and / worked in
many a ball game after that and we
never had an argument. Perhaps IT was
because 1 don't think he ever made a
mistake and always tried to pitch him
what he called for"
Manager Jack Dunn's success IN pilot
ing the Orioles this season has attracted
the attention of major league owners,
and 1t is said one, magnate has ap-
preached him on the subjec; of taking
charge Of his team next season. The
Oriole boss is said to have declared that
he has his money tied up in Baltimore,
likes the town and the people, and in
tends to stay there.