The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1912-11-16
WALSH ATTRIBUTES
SUCCESS TO LUCK
Rabbit Played Big Part In Iis Career.
The Stirring Taie-Bsses FILLED;
No Outs.
Rs1et stops osne-Ed. Gets a Rest.
Fans Three and Becomes
Hero.

fans know he is-and mcthinks any
pitcher who can create such strong
suspicious OF that kind must be guilty
anyway. I'd Is perfectly willing 10
plead guilty. not that he isn't modest.
because he is. eNcept-er-well. eN-
cept on that subject. and then ! guess
We had better call Il Just good iudg-
ment" on his part
But be- that rs Il so happens. there
Is enough evidence and strong enough
evidence TO warrant US filing charges
against him along with Marquard.
johnson. Wood. Nathewson 81 al
Il might as well tell Il all-start in
from the beginning. I mean said
Walsh. as he leaned back in his chair.
Il was born on May 9. 1881. in that
loveliest village OF Plains. Pa. / was
a regular kid in my youngster days
got sunburnt and spanked Just as
often and as natural as could be As
| grew old enough ! was adopted by
| the coal mines OF Wilkes Barre as an
! employee. and there worked until
| black in the face from cary morn till
late at night at the hardest kind OF
graft.
"Oh. yes. a little ball game now
and then" he added. as hastily Ques-
toned. But not very much al that
| never played ball as much as you
would imagine. nor did | seem 10 take
the same interest in the games as did
/ my little aspiring and perspiring pals
but somehow / did become quite
adept at walloping the ball and
straining EN- from the writ around
third base in spite of myself. although
] guess at that time | was a better
coal HEAVIER than a ball player Not
much luck to that. eh?" be laughed
Well" he continued. lit so hap
pened that ON the Fourth OF July in
1902. ! was highly tickled by a chance
offered me by lille town called
Downingtown. in Pennsylvania. to
play third base for them. and see II
could do them any good with the
bat. Pleised as I was at the oppor-
! Nnity TO play, YOU can imagine how
| skinful OF JOY | was when / learned
that the regular pitcher OF the club
was indisposed and that was eI-
pected 10 pitch.
Although never an active pitcher
before. ! had always hoped 10 he
naturally. all young fellows do: so
mounted the mound full OF hope and
best wishes"
The famous spitballer here paused
10 light cigarette. his only dissipa-
| ton. "Mestchester" he continued
was the opposing team and il looked
Ike n tough game. as Downingtowu.
| the team ] was with. had not beaten
| them for fifteen years. so they had
about forgotten how. while the other
fellows had the habit. you see-and
habits are hard TO break
We'll. sir. | was in there breaking
, my neck trying TO break this one. and
was doing fairly we'll. too. as We had
them beat by run in the eighth in
2 .. 4
in fifteen years. and nova one-rlIn
| lead and only one inning TO 70,
/ The last OF the ninth came-onIy
three outs and We win-just three lit
tie putouts 20 make. not very many.
is TT Yet when you think again it
seems an impossible number. and
guess the crowd was thinking. for
they grew strangely quiet and crossed
their fingers and hoped silently for
victory"
/ Big I'D leaned forward and tossed
| the cigarette away he found that he
couldn't smoke and talk. too.
I'll never forget that game as long
as ! live. ] remember 70 as wildly
"a ! do the one yesterday. ! can see
| the Westchester shortstop coming up
| He can hit. lie knows -. and is not
afraid or nervous. ! was the nervous
one now. 7 feed him a fast one in
| close. and bang'-mv heart nearly
chokes me. lie is squatting on FIRST.
/ the result Of a safe hit
1 II had two strikes on the next man.
4 when he hits a hard chance 10 our
/ third haseman. who tries for a double
\ and is too late. The crowd saws new
er a word. IL r. beginning 10 look
| bad Then the low murmur % the
fans rises with their hats 10 au exult-
| ant shout as the next batter hits an
/ easy Us back 81 third base
In comes Our left fielder ike mad.
Z he gets under if. foucncrtho ball and
| drops ~. while rho shouts Of the crowd
| quickly slide down the scale 10 low
| moan again.
The bases wero full and none our.
: one run ties the score. My heart was
/ sinking The reason from the joy o.:
. victory almost iu our grasp 60 the
| bitterness ~ defeat had weakened mo
I and 7 faced tine next man in q dizzy.
{ d1zed manner. % seemed like fighting
b aGainsf he Inevitable Hadn't they az
I ways wOu-wOn every game FOR fifteen
/ Lcars' What right hal ]. pitching nv
| trsf game. PLAYING wy first regular
! game before my first real crowd
/ what right bad 20 stop fhcm'
] II hOpeloesly grip tho bail and am
{ about 90 start the wind up ~ ms arm
and ~ tho game. too uo doubt
I when from tho FAR corner of the field
J I heard shouts. they Wcrc spreading
I ia volume and now the whole park
I is IN an uproar don't under tand Or
/ I look and racing fr1nticaliv acre. e
] tho field was n rabbit To- bad boon
I dislodgrd from his homo In tho 600
grass in lno flr ouffod hy tho im.
mcuae crowd which su'rinrrd fHc
+ diamond Round aud round Goo shout
F ing field hc Eoca until iaat. after
many fIreaorne and fruifieae fn .rf-.
The ri shtcuod and exhausted rabbit
drops In the pitcher ho. -nrf
luck sign Tho fhuHrlf ~ fr. f.r
hind four and ~ fIc .rlcftfu'Ir arf
almost theatrical cav fHe Whole flfr-
haupcuci Wy mind .la nude ur
Z and I 4m not eUunr.fItI.uE. f.fH.r
2 bur believed .lcn md efi'. Irilrtr
/ now. fnIf I was wirlfv .rtt
STRUCK Out The SIDE
70 carried frr f0Hr STRICKEN rrrlfu-.
fn f"c bench feeling esr-. uf con-.
D ndfuCo come over r. Nrr Uer.t.
were relieved 0f fHr trr ..ur.. Hrd fhe
NraI chester IfflIt was Clustered
Then efrI.. u.f fIg ne, fr~ee
mon Walsh smiled .u frr'nrr ~ar
"I thaf Was nov urt why fhlra
J.