Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-08-05
WHAT ARE JOKES0F
ABASE BALL TEAM?
Quite a Difference Between
Manager and Fans Opinion
on This Subject.

NEW YORK, August EVERY now
and then somebody bids young ball play
ers cheer up by saying that some of
the more prominent players Of the big
leagues were once considered as Jokes"
1t may be true that they were con-
sidered as Jokes" by some who are not
over conversant with the qualifications
which go with a good ball player, but
they were not considered as Jokes by
q manager who knew the ball player
in the rough.
Therein lies the difference between
the callow critic and the experienced
manager. Meyers. Marquard. thinner
man and Merkle were regarded as
jokes when they first broke In" says
a writer.
Perhaps so by the unthinking. In the
case of three Of the men mentioned
there was one person who never re-
garded them as Jokes His name is
McGraw.
Merkle was the first of the three to
join the Giants. One day McGraw told
the writer. and it was only a few days
after Merkle had joined the team, that
he had one Of the coming first basemen
Of base ball tucked under his wing ready
to take the place of McGann when Nc
Gam failed
There were some who failed to see
underlying the little ,crudeness which
Meyers exhibited when he first Joined
the Giants that he was better every
time that he stepped behind the plate.
Some Of these fellows who poke fun
at Meyers will take of their hats to
him in about two years more" said
McGraw.
The New York manager was asked II he
would trade MarQuard. Presumably some
other manager was trying to test him
and see II he could not obtain the left
handler. McGraw spoke about II one after
noon In conversation. so and So" said
he, II think has been trying me out to
see IL he can get hold of MarQuard. None
OF them will get him. He has got the
essentials for a first-class pitcher, and
some morning he will wake up and find 1t
out. II ! can get two or three victories
under his belt he Is made. He'll stay
with me until he proves that he il as good
as his physical qualifications call for or
he will quit gray headed. He is a natural
going to get him to believe it,"
These players are not Jokes with the
New York manager. They are mostly
Jokes with young men who knew all
about a ball player after he has made a
reputation.
When McGraw first joined the Baltimore
team some one asked Hanlon one day
what he kept him for Hanlon looked
up quietly and replied. Because some day
ne Is going to be one OF the greatest ball
In the first year with which McGraw
was with Baltimore Pat Tebeau, man.
ager Of the Cleveland club was talking
with Frank DE Haas Robson one morn
ing in the ONCE. III you ever get a
chance to induce Harry vonderhorst to
let McGraw come to the Cleveland club
get him for u.s." said the Cleveland man.
ager.
THAT little fellow, Pat? Don't you
think that he is too small?''
"Pll tell you. Mr.. Robson was the
reply. 'ff you get him for US he will be
beating Baltimore for Cleveland, but II he
stays with Baltimore he will be beating
Cleveland.
1t was also said that "Hughey' Jen-
nin2s was coke when he began to
play. Base ball history is filled with
Jokes but the polite man let's some
body else do the labelling. There's likely
to be a come back.