The Washington herald., 1912-01-07

The day before we arrived in Mis-
syula the management there released
every man on its pay roll, and the day
we opened up the ball park was packed
Missoula had been the joke of the
league. and the fans appreciated win
ming ball, for we started winning right
from the jump.
In those days most hall clubs only
carried two pitchers. a chap named
George Cross and myself did all the
twirling, and we worked every other
day.
The Rocky Mountain League towns
by this time had heard all about our
bunch. and our first Out-of-town-Eame
series WAS in Butte, Mont. When we hit
that town they were waiting for us with
open arms.
Our manager. Billy Works. was told
10 get all the money he could scrape
together. as the Butte gamblers would
bet their last cent on the home club.
Works dug up &5.O90. and the night be-
fore the opening game waited for Some
body 10 cover his coin
The gamblers were a little bit scared
Of US at first They wanted to see the
team in action, 50 refused to bet on the
s5Jsner.
"Ill never forget that first game.
George Cross pitched for our club and
ihoy batted him all over the lot, win
ming. j. to T.
That night the Butte gamblers bet
their heads of. covering our managers
5000 in jig time. l was slated to pitch
me next day, and the game was a tight
me from the start.
Butte tied the score in the ninth. when
ball got away from my catcher. The
hall rolled to the stand. and as he was
chasing after it one bug poked his arm
over the grand stand rail. extending in
his hand siX-shOoter: Let that ball
"lCne" he cried. The catcher stopped in
his tracks, and the runner scored from
third.
We finally won out in the tenth in
ming. and that night the gamblers were
around our hotel looking for revenge.
Manager Works put up 5000 on the
game the next day, and it was I'D TO
Cross to pitch
Here's the funny part or the story;
Cross conildcd 10 me that he wasn't go
ing to take any chances with such 4
bunch Of roughnecks. I don't like the
looks OF those guns. he said. believe
that If / had not stuck close to him all
night he would have jumped town.
we had nobody else to put in, and
'TosS simply had to pitch the game We
had an awful time getting him into a
uniorm- but with a lot Of joIIyfnE we
a'-ifi'iN iiiNa'th nun TO come along. He
was scared stiff when he entered the
BON.
As the game Progressed Cross got his
nerve back, and say. he had so much
stun tine Butte club couldn't touch him
We just breezed home a winner by
something like 6 to l.
1t was a grand cleanup, all right.
and our manager gave me 500 for win
ring my game"
The foregoing sounds like a wild and
woolly West fairy tale, ut Griff
vOuches for its authenticity.
Third basemen are in demand. At
least twelve of the clubs could use a
real star on the three-quarter sack.
Baker, Of the Athletics. MOwrey; Of the
Cardinals; Lobert. of the Phillies; Her
zog, Of the Giants; Lord, of the White
Sox, and Bobby Byrne, OF the Pirates,
are sure Of their jobs, but many of the
other third sackers may be either moved
TO some other position OF replaced.
The New York Mail prints the follow
ing: This matter of saving the daily
shekel was responsible for Herzog's break
from Boston TO the Giants "Tenney fined
me $50 one day." says Herzog, ''for a