Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1912-11-22
THE "STR|KEiOUT KING" IN HINSDALE
Rather Of fancu Story Of the Money Which Reubac Received
While Pitching for the Late W. 0. Amidon's Team

hillside directly behind him and bound
back within easy reach,
Amidon's methods of running the game
were unique. The entrance to the
grounds was between two buildings.
Here Amidon himself was stationed col
lecting the tickets. Admission was 25c,
and as a few of the local fans came
struggling in late, there would some
times be trouble This trouble would
result from the fact that no one could
get by Amidon without paying his quar-
ter and If there was any exciting point
in the game, that gentleman would in
sist upon turning around and looking
at the play until it was completed be-
fore he would admit anyone else to the
grounds. The people waiting outside to
get in who were as anxious to see what
was going on as he, did not specially
like this, but that made but little diff
ference.
In addition to his regular money for
pitching Sheldon was to receive IS for
every strike-out he made, while every
member of the club received $40 for ev-
cry single, 500 for a two-base hit, $50
for triple, and $50 for a home run.
When Ruelbach had struck out perhaps
dozen men and piled up $50 or $50 at
the rate of SIS per strike-out Amldon
would beckon him in from the box, say
ing as he did so, Let O'Brien go out
there and make a little money" So
O'Brien would continue the game and
do his best to pick up a few IS bills on
his own account.
At the end of the season the Spring
field team of the Connecticut league
journeyed up to Hinsdale to play a
special game with Amidon's club. Sew
eral of these players viewed the local
equipment with a good deal of delight
and spent not a little time in joshing
the resident fans on baseball and other
things of lesser consequence. One of
the players, not knowing the millionaire,
asked Amidon where he could buy bale
of hay, and Amidon, seeing no special
occasion for such a question: became
somewhat hot under the collar. He took
Sheldon aside and told him that if he
would lick those fellows he would get
SIS extra. incidentally, he bet as
much money as he could find takers
for on the results of the contest. 1t
was here that the coming of Reulbach
shone through the thin disguise of Shell
don in the game which followed. He not
only defeated Springfield, but he shut
them out without a hit and struck out
II men. Seventeen strike outs al S.
apiece, plus SIS for winning over and
above his regular salary wage was a
| good days work, but fairly earned by
| this wonderful record.
After this event the team went to
Greenfield, Mass, where Amidon again
wagered several hundred dollars on the
| outcome. Here Reulbach met a strong
| aggregation and pitched against Jack
| Chesboro, one of the stars of the Ameri-
can league. He outpitched him by a
score of 11-2 and struck out 10 men. He
also made two doubles at 500 apiece. Ir
| the fall of that year Reulbach went tC
the University of Vermont Here he re.
| manned a part of the season and pitched
on the varsity team.
His most famous exploit was a game
in which he appeared against the strong
Syracuse university nine and shut then
out again, pitching a no-ht game.
He did not finish his year with thu
| University of Vermont, for he was sign
ed by the Chicago club when his grea
work had reached the ears of Charlie!
Murphy. He Joined the Chicago club OF
the morning after shutting out tn,
| Syracuse team in his famous no-hi
game which was on Saturday On tn
very next day Sunday he pitched al
exhibition game at Hoboken. His frs
major league game occurred two day
later on a Tuesday, when he was beatel
to 0. His next defeat was at the hand
of Brooklyn by the score of to 3. TIL
first two games which he pitched TO
the Cubs he lost, but his wonderful
pitching skill came to the surface i'm
mediately after, for in the four game
which followed these first defeats not
opposing runner crossed the plate. TIL
memory of two defeats was completed
drowned in four successive victoriou
shut outs, and Reubach was fairl
launched on his marvellous career as
pitcher.