Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-08-15
How i BECAME A BALL PLAYER


was then managing the club.
Buy His Release.
At that time the Terre Haute club
claimed me as its property. The con-
tention was that, although had new
er signed a contract, the fact that 1
had drawn salary was the same as
il had affixed my John William
Henry to legal document. Finally.
to settle an further disputes the Car
dinals paid Tetre Haute 5000 fer nay a,
release. A's
in 1894 I was traded to the Chi
cago Cubs, together with John O'Neil,
for Jack Taylor and Larry Mclean.
For nine seasons pitched for the
Cubs, and then was released to the
Louisville club at the end of last sea-
son.
During July of last year the Cubs
were playing Boston. / was on first
base in the tenth inning, and Chance
was on the bench. / looked toward
him for instructions. He signalled
me to steal second on the first pitch
ed ball. / went down, and the batter
fouled it. Twice again the same thing
happened, and once more Chance in
structed me to try to steal. That
time the catcher dropped the pitch. /
saw him drop it, so did not attempt
to slide, But as / pulled up at sec
ond base felt my ankle give way. I
threw all my weight on my knee to
save my ankle, and threw my knee
out.
From that time was unable to.
pitch at my best because could not
put my full weight on my right leg,
as had been accustomed to doing.
was compelled to do all my pitch
ing with my arm, and without any
body in the swing.
As Good as Ever Now.
Although had three year con-
tract with the Cubs at $1,000 year,
was released to the Louisville
club at the enc of the season. The
contract was SO drawn that could
not recover what was due me from
Murphy. In Louisville was to re-.
ceive $500 a month. naturally re-.
fused to report.
Claim to my services was was5ed
when Murphy asked for waivers on
me because the other major league
clubs were unwilling to take chance
On my injured knee getting well. The
Clubs knew they would have to pay
the waiver price of 81 $500 for me and
assume my contract, which had two
years to run at $1,000 a season. 1t
was a S15,500 chance, and they re-
garded that as too much of a risk
"During the mixup of last winter,
xryl = II
natl, and Chance. came to New York,
the Cincinnati club managed to get
my release from Louisville My knee
feels fine this year, and my arm
seems to be as good rs ever
Peculiar thing about my beginning
as pitcher was that l never could
put hook on the ball until after
Joined the Cardinals The two years
that / was pitching in the minors /
used little but fast ball. OF course,
/ had roundhouse curve, but there
was no break to it.
How He Lost Fingers.
1T may be Interesting for me to-
tell how lost my index finger on
my right hand, and how the others
became broken. | was quite young
ster at my home in Nyesville, Ind.
where was born-in fact, / was about
seven years of age, when one after
noon while was playing in the fields
grabbing the wheat as it was pushed
through the feed cutter, my fingers
became caught fn the blades of the
knife I pulled them out.
The index finger had to be ampu-
tated. and the others were set and
my hand bound In splints. A short
time afterward. while it was still
bound in splints, | was chasing one
of the pigs around and accidentally