Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1912-10-09

the Western Association. AT any
rate, Joe must have started very
early. and has certainly been goins
some ever since
Coed at Everything.
Baseball is by no means Wood :
only accomplishment Probably every
man In the world looks back upon his
h0yhOud DAYS and recalls some boy
Chum who made success Of about
everything he turned his hand to-
These adventureloving Youngsters
who try everything that comes their
way and straightway make a success
thereof are found about one TO every
generation and to each group of boys
They are always youngsters who ap,
pear TO have inherited q knaCk OF
eXCelllng in competition. They ap,
pear to start in life just natural win,
ners, to whom a game" of any sort
is the very. essence OF life itself From
his present ability in many lines. one
imagines that Joe must have been
just this sort OF a yOungster After
his early years in Chicago. ne moved
again out to Ouray, Col, and while
there in the Rockies learned to ride
horseback and to shoot. both much
better than the average, even for
Colorado. 1t was in Colorado that
his grammar and high school days
brought him out as an amateur pitch.
er and gave him his first really wide
renowr as a winner in this especial
line.
Here, too, he began to pick up the
rudiments of pool and billiards, to
learn a little something about golf
and to round out his general educa-
ton in every one of the many things
in which he now eXcels. Today
Wood is one of the best poOl-players
in the country. He has not yet at
tanned quite as great efficiency in
billiards, but he is fast improving his
game. He is one of the best card
players in the Sox outfit, not because
be likes to gamble, but rather be-
cause he appears never to be quite
happy unless he is engaged in COM
petition of some sort. He is more
over, an accomplished dancer and a
sort of all-around phenom generally.
Played Five Seasons.
1t was in the spring of 1907 that
he set forth into the wide world OF
league baseball. He was with the
Hutchinson club for season or so,
and then moved on to Kansas City,
where, as youngster of eighteen, his
fame as a speed merchant began to
spread over the country. He was
finally purchased by President John
l. Taylor of the local club, and re-
ported with this organization in 1909.
From that time on Joe has been a
good pitcher, a major Lacquer from
the very start, His speed has been
his most reliable asset, taking his
league career as a whole, but with
each succeeding season he has added
some new wrinkle, learned lot
some new wrinkle; learned lot by
careful, conscientious study of OPP
posing batsmen and by making his
brain do it's share of the work nodded
by himself into the great hurler that
be now is. y Il
Woods first and foremost bid for
fame is "smoke"-the almost blind
ing speed that jumps from his
graceful wind-up like an ar
row from a stout bow. Walter John
son is said to have the fastest ball in
the business, but the difference be-
tween. his swift sling and Wood S
speediest effort must be infinitesimal.
Both OF these great pitchers are past
in the art of burning the
ball across the rubber
In addition to his ball-the incurve
Of our boyhood days with it's almost
hop-Wood has like
wise one of the speediest if not the
speediest~ curved ball in the major
leagues. This 'sharp-b breaking, bewil-
lering weapon for moving. down OPP
1onents has been his most deadly
bender this year, but he has also
earned in this one season the beauty
If mixing a slow curve with his as
;ortment of speedy heaves, and this,
while not yet developed to the per-
lection of the rest of his repertoire,
las proved great aid to him.
should Last Years.
The big question with Boston, of
is, "How long will Wood
ast?"
Judging from his graceful, easy de-
livery, the absolute absence of tortu-
Gus wind-up and bacbbreaking eff
ort, he should be in the major league
or years to come, more effective
next year. than this, as he
S likely to have the same wonderful
defensive back that has helped him
his year. Wood takes good care OF
himself and is moderate in everything.
Although a youngster, he is one of
he veterans of the remarkable club.
md as such is one of the, members
# the board of strategy which Boss
axe has gathered around him, and
With whom he confers in matters of
lew maneuvers and the general play
ng of the game.