The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-03-31

Morgan and others. Later coming 10
richmond to reside. he played with on.
! or more amateur teams In the city. al.
! EDWARDS going to Clifton rorge VA,
during the boom year there, aud helped
10 organize one of thu fastest semi
professional teams that the State had
/ seen up to that time, acting as short.
STOP, left fielder and captain manager
y league composed OF Clifton Forge
' hohceNertc, Stanton and Lewisbure
nud successful season Clifton Forge
winning the championship. After that
he has b,cn steady patron OF the
game, but lost heart and interest when
MS son. Wardic. who was brillia ri
young player In the Southern circuit.
and whose ambition was to be a big
leagucr. died at the age of twenty four
years. To fill in a vacancy, Mr.. Eaton
temporarily acted as an umpire in thu
old Atlantic League during month
holiday, but the lass said of that the
better, maybe. especially his cXperienc,
In Norfolk at couple of doublc-head
ers. They didn't get his goat or shat
ter his nerve. not that you could notice
1t. but lie was glad to get homo nj VIC.
Though loving the pleasant task of
umpiring. business engagements haV,
prevented resumption of duties along
that linz. for which sincere thanks are
offered.
In looking back over tho earlier days
OF his baseball career, II Is with pleas
urc and pride that he recalls the cap
able teachers and fri ends who tried to
make ball player Of him, among
them being Fergy Malone and DicK
Mcbride, tho famous battery of the
original Athletics, now Connie Mack's
pets: Yves Fislcr. first hase; Al Reach
second base; sutton. third base; Mike
McGary, shortstop; Scnscndefcr, centre
field; Bob Addy and Hall. right fold
i'm ,,1 l.,f, Il Z
all of the Athletics of 1876; the ia
NOUS Deacon White, catcher; SpaldnE.
pitcher; Cal. McNcy. first base; Ross
Barnes, second base: George Writ hit
shortstop; Schaeffsr, third base; Ancy
Leonard, left field; Harry Wright, cen
tire field. and Bealcs, right held-al
of the old Bostons Of 1876. All of thes,
have thrown aud batted balls 10 the
Eaton kid as they called him, knock
ing him down and disloca ting fing -
JOINTS, picking him up and patting HIM
on the back, telling him TO go to il, as
that was the way ball players were
made q thought ycs--way they are
kiilcdo. No gloves, no chest protcC-
| tors. no masks. no anything in those
days to offer protection, and lively
ball used at that. After catching Il
speedy pitcher for nine innings or
more, and only one catcher to a team
(and one pitcher oftimes), day in and
day out II was us to the butcher for
big Slice of raw beef TO bind on the
hands and plenty of alum water and
arnica to set tit for the next game,
and at that nearly every ball caught
made you feel as II n knife was being
run through your hat DIS. Ii a catcher
couldn't dodge a foul tip, he stopped
it with his mouth or an eye or one or
more ribs. and often got II in the neck
and had the game called until he got
his breath back. o, the sprained joints
of fingers, the nails torn off, the Jumps
here and thcre the black and blue
spots almost everywhere! But we wer,
proud OF them all nearly. even though
they hurt SO, especially If our tea II
won. 1t was all for baseball. Lou 8
live baseball!