Evening star., 1911-08-11

PHILADELPHIA. August 1-When
you buy your sport final daily. and you
perceive that an unknown younsster has
been flung into the breach as pincn
pitcher on three successive days. YOU
rather want to know something about
this uncovered prize, don't you? Sure
YOU do. Well, lets discuss Dandy Dave /
Danforth, the second Rube Waddel1, who
has thrice stepped into the breach and
saved the bacon for the worlds champs
when the cXigences of the occasion de-
manded the withdrawal of the original
boxman
Let's be statistical at the start David
Charles Danforth, as our hero is known
when spread out in name, was born twen-
ty years ago in the town of Granger,
Tex. He stands right at the six-foot
mark, and when in hurling form gathers
about 1G6 pounds of embonpoint under
his attire. Now with that over, have
something historical about Dandy Dave.
Let him tell it, too.
Il got my start as pitcher in my
own town. of course said the spar
came a pitcher was because ] was the
biggest of all the kids. and l bossed
them around. When we played ball
told them that I'd either have to pitch
let me pitch. That's how l started.
Every summer, of course. we had team
in our town, and j was usually the
pitcher When | got big enough TO go to
Granger High School I was the pitcher
there, too. Our school team was dandy,
and we had everything that went to
make up good team. We beat the
other fellows as often As they beat US.
College Catcher Snaps Dave.
But, anyway. talking about the
Granger team. we used to make trips
around our neighborhood, five or six
| miles, going there and bark in hacks.
At first We were all amateurs. but the
game got 50 hot down our way that
we hired several players.
| "One of these chaps was catcher
at Baylor University, in Waco, and his
name was Punchard. He caught me one
season. and after the season closed, he
said to me: Dan, you've got the stun.
and I'd like to have you come down to
| Waco and go to Baylor. What do you
say to the proposition?
| u talked with the folks at home, and
| they told ne to go. was there two
years. and was graduated at the last
commencement. The first year that
| pitched I lost q few games, but this year
didn't lose one winning ten straight,
4 and getting the collegiate championship
| of central and southern Texas.
| Il had d great team back Of me, and
had pretty fair success. ! managed to
get away with two no-hit games. due to
my great support. The first was against
Daniel Baker College of Brentwood, and
the other with Southwestern Uni
versity, which was BaylorS rival for the
championship, Only one fellow got to
first in that game. and I hit him in the
/ ribs.
.How did + come to get with the Ath
leticsc
4
several times, and asked me to join the
| club. and so did Mr.. Whiting. who was
| looking for players down there. j told
them that 1 couldn't think about that un-
less ] vas allowed to finish my college
| course. and they agreed to that. l got
through Baylor all right. and week ago
last Saturday Mr. Pearlstone came over
to Granger and l signed a contract.
Against the Tigers.
How did 1 feel when ! went against
the Tigers? Well, I'll tell you. I didn't
know just exactly how l felt. | knew
one thing, they weren't going to get to
| the base if | could help it. and l was
bound to make them hit, and not let them
walk. I got out of it, all right, but 1t
didn't have anything to do with me, the
other fellows got all the clouts. In re-
gard to how 1 felt with three on and
only one out. Well, to be honest
| with you, I thought Connie Mack
pulled a bone sending me in. L expect
ed that they would get run, but l
wasn't going to give them any more than
| that on my life.
| Il don't find pitching here any tougher
| than with the Independent teams, for you
get better support, and YOU are playing
/ with a better crowd. OF course, In in
dependent games I used to strike out
sixteen and seventeen men, but they
would hit at any number of bad balls. In
| this league they don't hit those, though
once in a while you find them pulling at
| bad ones.
Wants to Make Good.
However, all man has to do Is go in
| and pitch You take me. for instance,
JTye ONLY been in there a few innings.
Probably if I went through a whole
| game they would get to me and make II
darn hot. use my fast one mostly, and
| try TO put a jump it all the time. Then
! | mix this up with slow curve. and
floater, dope ball, l call Il. Then l try
i all the time to get control. for | figure
that unless you know how TO place the
/ bali where the catcher signals you won
| cut much figure in the game.
1 s.I-v, I