Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1912-01-20

Asked If he had come across n ma
tive phenoms while in McAlester, Joe
McGinnity, who has just returned from
his home, replied In the negative. Two
years ago, the last time Joe was home,
he brought three native sons" who
had been boosted to the skies by the
Holtz and Cliff Patterson comprised the
trio.
All came forth with shining hopes OF
brilliant careers, but all have long
since been eliminated from the base
ball horizon. Holtz was the most
promising and stuck to the Tigers for
a season, was sold to Elmira and hat
was the last trace of him. Evidently
he has been swallowed up In the surg
ing maelstrom.
Claude Hawkins, who distinguished
himself by stealing third with the
roosts occupied, is devoting his baseball
talents to wrapping" up parcels in a
McAlester grocery store instead Of
trapping out hits. Cliff Patterson
looked like a very good pitcher on the
training trip, but he could mo- stand
the separation from his own ireside
for four months and took French
leave like Longfellow's Arabs who
folded their tents and stole away in
the night.
Small wonder that the Metal Mans
faith in McAlester talent is somewhat
shaken.
He tells a story about a former base
ball star whom he ran across on his
vacation trip. McGinnity first met
"Snodgrass,' his friend mo relative Of
the Giant outHelder), in 1909. Snod-
grass was playing the outfeld of one
of the rival McAlester mines and he
used to SINCE the grass top by his
terrific speed. According to McGin-
nifty, he was no SLOUGH as a batsman
and fielder, and when the American
League was organized and on the hunt
for players, Joe took Snodgrass to Bal
timore, where Mac played In 1901.
Well, Snoddy got in right. He used
to leap a mile in the air for line drives,
come in like a dachshund and scoop
up ow drives, and nothing ever got
away from him as a fielder. In short,
Snoddy had all the earmarks of a Ty
Cobb, Honu Wagner and Nap Lajoie
rolled into one-which makes a mighty
formidable combination. But, alack
and alas! Snoddy was human, and 1t
is human to err. Snoddy had a fault.
He was afflicted at times with an in
flated Uranium. Interpreted into con-
else English, Snoddy was grossly con-
ceited n o~pinionated.
1t fell to his lot one day to step aup
to the plate with the situation as
critical as II can be in baseball. Two
out in the ninth, two on bases and one
run needed to tie it up. Snoddy
grabbed a half dozen hats. swung
them like as man Indian clubs and
tossed five of the "half" aside.
The first one did not suit Snoddy and
he disdained to offer at II. The opposing
pitcher wound up again. Every n
of his strength he put into the fling,
and "Crack!,
There was an ear-splittinp hang ar
the bat and ball collided. ana the
sphere was last seen taking a Baker.
over the right field wall. Snoddv wsa
as fleet as the wind, but he only took
three bases on the wallop, because the
game vas over
Like a tidal rave the fans, wild with
delight, came swarming onto the field
and the mighty "Snoddy" a borne
off the field on their shoulders.
Snoddy just hated such stuff. He
hated hero worship just like 40
WEBB" Murphy hates press notices
The next day he made a belated an.
trance in order to get the fans worked
up to the right point for the grand