The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-05-04
PASSING OF TABOR
RECALLS THE ENTRY
OF KELLY, THE KING
Interesting Chapter of Early
Baseball Deals With
Three Big Stars of
National Game
BY BILL AK


One OF the most famous pitchers of the
first decade of professional baseball
passed away in the death of Charley Ia
Dor of New Haven the past week. During
the period of 1867 to 1877, or the founda-
ton of the National league, he was un-
equaled as a left handed box man. He
was the first great professional left handler
and he believed that he was the first pro-
fessonal to be placed under a stated sal
ary. When he joined the Unions Of
Morislana in 1866, he received 500 month,
although the sum was supposed to be his
wages as janitor of the clubhouse, as the
payment of money was not at that time
regularly made to ball players.
Tabors chief title to baseball fame,
aside from his wonderful pitching. was
his introduction into the game of Mike
Kelly and Fred Goldsmith, two of the IA
nous Chicago players of their day. Both
these later National league stars played
their first game under his management
Kelly when he was captain-manager OF
the Buckeyes, of Columbus; Goldsmith,
when he managed the New Havens.
In 1869, when the Cincinnati Reds made
their triumphal tour of the country meet
ing and vanauishing all rivals In turn, 1t
the east would be the Unions because OF
the effective pitching of Tabor The Reds
are reported to have dreaded him more
than any other rival pitcher. Yet the
game played between them resulted in
an easy victory for the Reds, largely be-
cause of the poor support given Tabor.
Tabor Begins Career
Tabor began his baseball career in the
old park at Harlem, where his parents
resided. His swift and accurate pitching
was noted by Davy Force, the later Bur
falo shortstop. Force went behind the
bat and caught me all the afternoon
said Tabor. recently, in talking of the
try out "Then he made me come back
and pitch to him all the next day. Then
he gave me S25, pair of white duck
trousers and pair of Spanish game
chickens to pitch my first game for
regular team Next ! was signed as the
regular pitcher for the Unions
Tabor's account of the entry of Mike
Kelly into baseball adds another to the
many merry chapters written of the life
of the king
when / was manager of the Buck
eyes, said Tabor, Mccormick, later of
Indianapolis was taken along with us TO
pitch He and I did all the box work,
and we had Billy Barnie, the later Balti-
more and Hartford manager, as catcher.
very sore.
'I said to Mccormick: Who used to
catch YOU on those New Jersey grounds,
the Elysian fields, where you played?
"He answered: "A wild Irishman named
Mike Kelley So e4l
Il said: We'll. I'm looking for wild
man. Send for Kelly
1--WE were to play in Springfield, o., in
three days, and, receiving an answer from
Kelly. we wired him to come there to
play. He arrived just before the game
began and we gave him part of poorly
fitting uniform, but we could find no shoes
to fit him, and Kelly played his first pro-
fessonal game in his stocking feet. But
he made five hits and really won the
game for us. Although we did not know
1t, the Springfield team had been after
Kelly and had sent him advance money.
Toward the close of the game the crowd
whispered that Kelly had taken Spring
fields money and was now trimming their
team. As soon as the game closed, rush
was made for Kelly, and sheriff with
writ for his arrest Joined the mob But
Kelly was as clever then as he always
was and he bluffed the whole crowd by
repeating: I'm not that Kelly; he's an
other Kelly.
TO get Kelly out of town we settled
his advance money bill with the Spring
field team
Goldsmith is round
1 Fred Goldsmith's entry into baseball
was made under equally stormy circum-
stances. When I was manager Of the
New Havens. Nichols was litcner regu-
larly and the directors wanted him to
pitch against Yale when thea teams met
for the city championship. decided to
use Goldsmith against the advice of the
directors. I practiced Goldsmith secretly
and did not announce him as pitcher till
Just as the game was about to start.
Yale could do nothing with him and we
won easily. The directors were very an
CRY and voted not to allow Goldsmith to
pitch any more. telegraphed AL Spald-
Ing. who was manager of the Chicagos,
that l had a pitcher for him who in two
years could not be equalled In the coun-
try He telegraphed, Ship him along
and I sent Goldsmith to Chicago to begin
his distinguished career"
Tabor became policeman in New Hav-
EN- after his retirement from baseball. He
retired about 10 years ago and has en-
gagged in the culture of flowers with his
son since that time. He was 81 years old
and leaves a family. He died of pneu-
monia after an Illness of only five days.