The Washington herald., 1912-12-19

1ngton club not a cent more than
$4,000 in real money, notwith-
standing the fact that it was gen.
orally supposed Griff planked
down $4,000.
1t will be remembered that Manager
Griffith jumped his ball club in New
York during the last week in May to
see Gandil play and TO buy him If the
price was not too steep. The Nationals
manager declared just before embark
ing on this expedition that he would not
pay a fancy price for a ball player until
he had seen him in action. Hence the
trip.
''Gandil had an of day when I saw
him with Montreal" said Grin. He
failed to connect for n safe hit and did
not look like a star at first base, but
liked the way he. handled himself. and
because he made such a poor showing
I was able to get the player from
Montreal at my terms, which included
so much cash and three men under con-
tract with me-
The Montreal manager wanted $1,000
and couple of players for Gandil, but
before Griff got through with him the
price was sliced TO 5000 and three play
ers, the men being Cunningham, Buck
use to the Nationals.
Gandil started to play good ball the
minute ne Joined the Washington club.
The first time Chick faced Joe Wood in
Boston he smashed one of Smokey Joe S
curves TO right field for a double, and
from that time until the season closed
the Nationals first baseman made the
critics wake up and take notice.
Sam Crane the veteran ball player who
fo- flpyy
pays Gandil the following tribute:
When Chick Gandil was asked re-
Gently to name what he believed to be
the greatest asset Of a ball player. he
answered briefly. Plenty Of grit Con-
s~iously or unconsCiousIy, the young star
who did so much to aid the Senators IN
their sensational dash from almost last
to second place in the pennant race. men
toned the one thing that enabled him
to enter the ranks Of the first and fore
most.
In the lexicon of this youngster there
is no such word as disbursement or
he would have gone back to driving
rivets in boiler shop, from which he
graduated into the baseball profession.
Like Jim Jeffries, Gandil started out I'M
life earning his bread as a boilermaker.
He was horn twenty-three years ago in
Minneapolis MINI. His parents not be
ing endowed with the surplus of worldly
goods that has made Rockefeller an en-
perOr of finance. Chick had to pass up
many OF the pleasures and benefits
usually given the sons of well-to-do peO-
pie. Among the things Chick was com
PEELED to do without was an education
that would enable him to get a good start
i'm life
His parents emigrated to the Far West
" lille he was still in knickers. and when
Chic attained the age of sixteen he began
to earn his own way.
Having a grea. fOndness for the ma
tGnal game, Gandil devoted all of his |
leisure time out on the fields. and he !
soon became so proficient at the game |
that he was able to add to his meagre |
salary in the noise factory by taking |
part in a professional game occasionally. !
He attracted the attention of few
bush league scouts in 1907. when he was
eighteen wears old, and the Cananea Club !
q the cactus made him an offer that
made it profitable for him to lay aside !
the sledge and devote all his time to
baseball. He remained with Cananea |
one season. and in 1903 shifted to Shreve- |
pert He did pretty well there, and at
the end of the season he was drafted by |
the St Louis Browns.
The task of making good with a tail |
ono team. however, was too much, and !
after a short trial he was tEFped back by |
the Browns to the club from which they |
got him. He was told he would never |
do for the big show. and men who are |
supposed TO know a ball player when .
they see one made these assertions. This !
only spured Gandil to renew his efforts |
He went back to the bushes disappointed, !
but not discoUra ged. He studied his |
faults and devised ways to correct them. |
So we'll did he succeed that in 1910 he |
was given his second chance with /
major league outfit. the White Sox taking |
hold OF him He played seventy-twO |
games with the white-hosed bunch at |
first base and was once again pronounced |
a failure. His fielding was not bad. but |
he did not seem to hit well enough to