The Washington herald., 1911-02-28
WEIGHT is NO HANDICAP;
I'LL MAKE GOOD SWAIN
Nationals Recruit from Pacific Coast Writes of His
Condition Billy Lehman Will Act as Busi-
ness Manager-Other Gossip.
By WILLIAM PEET.

By WILLIAM PEET.
There is one recruit who will report in
Atlanta for a try-out with the Nationals
in whom Manager McAleer is greatly in
teresteG-the boy Cliff Blankenship rec
commended and who was purchased last
summer He is Charley Swain. who per
formed in right field on the Vancouver
club in the Northwestern League.
There is a reason why this man Swain
should not be overlooked when the time
comes for the final selection of the Ma
tionals. 1t was Cliff Blankenship who
was sent scouting for Walter johnson
five years ago and who signed him for
Joe CantiIlon, and Blankenship is sponsor
for Swain.
During the late summer of 1909 Blanken-
ship was let out by the Nationals He
was continually getting injured and al
ways seemed to play in hard luck here.
When BLANK was turned loose no
strings were tied to him. He was grant
cd permission to sign with any club he
saw fit, and transportation for both he
and Mrs. BlankenShip was furnished by
the management, all of which is mighty
square treatment at the hands of any
ball club.
Last summer Blankenship wrote Presi-
dent Moves telling him how much he ap-
preciated the treatment accorded him by
the Nationals, and in return wished to
show his gratitude by recommending the
best looking young outhelder he had ever
seen in a minor league. The outfelder
was Swain, and Swain will.be in Atlanta
next week.
At the time Swain was purchased, he
was leading the Northwestern League
with a mark something like Us, but he
ran into a batting slump and finished In
the 20 class.
Just before the 1910 season closed, sew
Ral sport writer's in the West took oc-
casion to throw a few harpoons into
Swain. They called attention to his hulk,
and said that unless he broke down ali
the fences with his heavy hitting, he
would never make good For. they
argued, no man who carried around 20
pounds with him had much of chance
in the big show.
When Manager McAleer hear this he
at first threw up his hands, and for a
time it looked as if Swain would never
get as far as the spring camp, but Nc
Aleer finally decided to look Swain over
to see just what the big fellow could do.
A snort uTne ago the writer sent swain
a little note asking him to state frankly
just how much he weighed and to tell as
much of his past history as he cared to
see in print. Swain replied modestly, and
as the letter explains itself it is pub
lshed in part herewith.
Oakland. Cal, Feb. q, 1911
Mr. William Peet, Sporting Editor, The
Washington Herald:
Dear Sir: In reply to your letter of
recent date, l am glad to be able TO give
you a few facts, for you can bank on it
that these are facts, as l will be with
you in week or so in Atlanta, and you
can see for yourself.
l note what you say about certain of
my friends on the Western papers claim
ing / have taken on so much weight
that 1 am handicapped thereby. Just
write them a personal letter and bet
them ali you've got that 1 haven't taken
on more than five pounds since quit
playing last fall, and last year played
weighing Just 19S pounds, and on the
scales this morning 1 weighed 32 pounds
with my street clothes on.
Last year at this time I weighed 90
pounds. for the simple reason that 1
was employed in an office and had no
chance to exercise at all; but this winter
! made it a point to get plenty of out
door work.
A knocker doesn't bother me at all,
Mr. Peet. 1 am always willing to listen
to Just criticism. 1 will join the Wash |
ington club in shape and try my best to
will not handicap me in the least 1
will be pleased to meet you If you come
TO Atlanta, and after you have seen my
work you can judge for yourself as TO
"'' O'''' CHARLEs R SWAIN.
1t was announced at baseball head
quarters that Billy Lehman would act as
business manager for the Nationals dur
ing their spring training trip, in place Of
Willie Fowler the clubs business mana
ger, as the latter cannot spare the time
just now to get away.
MI Lehman is one of the attaches of
the ball park and has charge Of the
press gate. He is fully qualified in every
way 70 assume the responsibility, and
Manager Jim could not have made a
more popular selection
When asked his opinion of the hand
book a Kentucky firm is advertising to
give the gamblers a chance to bet their
coin on the outcome of the big league
races for the pennant, Manager McAleer
had no comment to make other than to
state that he thought it was a pretty
tight book"
During a tanning bee yesterday after
noon. Manager McAleer paid Hal Chase,
the new manager OF the New York
Yankees, a high compliment:
Chase is a mighty smart ball player,
one of the best first basemen ever saw
in my life. and a man whom consider
a quick thinker. Nobody, in the game
to-day knows more baseball than Chase, |
and if he can impart some of his knowl- |
edge to his players he will have a great
club. hope he does-frankly, I'm pull |
ing for Chase to make good
Ed Ashenback, for many years, a
manger OF minor league teams, in his |
new book, ''Humor Among the Minors"
claims to be the originator of the ex-
preston "bonehead," which is now |
with its synonymous terms OF "solid |
ivory" mahogany bean." concrete |
dome" and cement skull" so common |
in baseball.
Ashenback says that when he was
managing the Shreveport team OF the /
Southern League some years ago he
had catcher who could hit some, but /
who had the very serious weakness OF |
not being able to gauge a foul bail no
matter how easy ii was.
One day a batter raised high foul /
directly over the plate, and the BATCH
er misjudging it, was hit squarely on
top of the head by the descending |
sphere, which knocked of his mask