Arizona republican., 1912-03-31
HOW T FEELS ID BE AN
 OvERPR|CED LEMON

. { 10 handle with my ordinary good luck Then the balls started coming for m' ! like rifle shots and went as safe hits ; IT was slaughter and I blew uI
 completely
 : That was the only game l took part
 in that season. but it was enough.
 was so badly rattled that I did moi
 get over it all winter. The opening of the next season found me in fully
 as bad condition. or worse.
 | lost confidence completely. and tho ] knocks which the press and the spec tators gave me did not help matters
 any When l was pitching. the mo-
 ment I failed to put them over. there
 would be a series of calls. Take him
 ont and various comment on the Sll.O00 lemon Criticism of this
 kind is very unnervirg to a young
 player new to the game. It gets the
 nerve of the old timers. too. to some
 extent. but they are more used to II and can stand it better. Still. where
 many thousands of voices are shout ing at once Take him out" the pitcher is likely to grow discouraged,
 and I do not believe any man can do his best under such circumstances. ' know I was hot headed at times. and on one or two occasions l went beyond bounds when l was goaded by some of those cartoons on $l1000 lemons" IL is not pleasant to be 1 the goat of the whole league. but when references are made tO mer" 1 personal matters that is going beyond what l will stand for. I know one day at St Louis I spoiled a hat and
 necktie for one of the press writers who had abused me beyond reason and was fined $25 for it by the um- pire However. it was worth it to me. and l didn't complain. though l cannot say about the sporting writer. This thing went on for more than
 two years. until last spring I made iup my mind I would either make good or get out of the game. I re solved to pay no attention whatever to any remarks made to me by the fans or the press. but to put them over regardless of what might hap i pen I started on this resolve on the ! spring training trip down south. de- pending solely on speed. I remember | I was pitching to Meyers, and the first one got away from him. it was going so fast. but il was the beginning II stuck 10 fast straight ones to get ! hack my control I knew control had never bothered me at Indianapolis. In l fact when l first went there l did ! not know what the word meant. ] i heard them talking about control and wondered what it vas This time l kItpw l had control once. and made ! up mv mind I could get it again
 Last season the first big game pitched that made any impression ol anyone was in that game where the Giants scored 13 runs in the first inning against St Louis. McGraw saw ! his chance He did not think that even l could lose the game then. $" he sent me in. and it was my chance. too Here was the opportunity l was looking for l had nothing to lose. The game was already won. There was nothing at stake and nothing special was expected of me. My ner- vousness passed away completely, and pitched as I had never pitched before. In the eight innings which followed | struck out fourteen men. That was the true beginning of my big leagGe experience. l cannot help but con- trast it with my first game with the Cincinnati club where big things were expected of me and my own nervous ness and lack of confidence in my self lost out.
 Here no one expected anything Of me I had nothing to lose. l was merely the great S1l.000 lemon" and I could do myself full justice. From that moment my old-time confidence was restored I went back to my curves. l used full speed. I pitched as I had done in the old days with
 Indianapolis and the result of my last seasons work was a pretty fair indication that l made good.
 No one can say what will happen in the next season. but I have this much to say: I have been the great SIl.0OO lemon" I have been big league failure if you wish to call il that. but | am not one now. and l shall not be again. I have number of years left. if nothing happens, for work in the major league circles. l have just signed three years con
 tract with the Giants. and they ara
 going to get my very best work.
 I owe it to MT. Brush. prince among magnates. and MT. McGraw an
 equal prince among managers. for
 their patience in dealing with me in
 that long season when l was not
 making them any adequate return.
 But l shall endeavor. to the best If
 my ability. in the seasons which are
 coming. to give them a return for
 their great faith in me which has
 made my present success and future
 prospects possible