The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1913-04-18
Tiger Recruit Hurler Makes
Himself Solid by His Re-
markable Exhibition
GRIT WON ATTENTION
FROM COACH JOE SUGDEN
Foxy ROurke Tried to Hide
Mark When He Was With
Omaha Last Season
BY RALPH l.. YONKER.


is today solid with Tiger fans after
his exhibition OF fine pitching and
finer mettle in the opening game or
the season against the st. Louis
Browns at Navin field yesterday Vie
tory In which the Tigers finally clung
to after ninth inning rally by the
Browns which was sQuelched only
when Bill I,ouden took a stiff liner
from Pratt's bat with three men on,
two out. one run needed by the
Browns TO tie and two, probably, to
win.
Last year when Coach Joe Sugden
was floating through the Western
league looking at men who had been
tipped of TO President Nayin and
piping others who had not been tip
ped of, he spotted one Mark Hall,
pitching game for Omaha with an
arm that had lump on it as big
as an egg where 1t had been struck
by batted ball during the practice
preliminary to the game.
Sugden. who went down to the
Omaha bench, the better to observe
the men, found Hall and warned him
10 quit the game and treat his arm
with hot towels.
IN beat those guys anyway" was
Halls only comment.
Sugden admired the mans nerve
and decided to watch him more close
~. He saw him pitch game or two
when he was IN shape and began
making inquiries about Mark.
Nobody had paid any great atten-
ton TO his as Mark was not sensa-
tional but little scratching of heads
brought to light that few OF the clubs
In the Western league had beaten the
slow plOdding Omaha pitcher.
In the meantime Foxy Rourke.
Omaha manager, was touting every
other pitcher In the league but Hall,
whom he ignored. When the drafting
time came around, however, Hall was
taken by the Tigers.
Hall won his chance to be Tiger
by his nerve; he bids fair to keep 1t
through the same medium, combined,
OF course. with good pitching
Mark Is a hard worker, a man who
will pull just as hard up hill as he'll
run down hill. He was the frst Tiger
along with Trainer Tuthill. He had a
weeks work under his diminished
belt when the rest Of the recruits
appeared. He was the first Tiger to
suffer a severe injury. He had nail
torn from the thumb OF his left hand;
he gritted his teeth when Harry
Tutbill wrenched what was left of 1t
and went back into the game the next
day.
When Charlie Weatley told Hal!
that Manager Jennings had to give
him (Charlie) chance In the big
league schedule this year because the
Detroit newspapers would roast
Hughie If he didn't but that Mary
wasn't likely TO get show to make
good, Hall said simply Tin baseball
English) "Shucks,"
He kept on working.
Hall is not az old a man as he
looks. He il only % years OF age.
His bronzed face makes him look
older. His quiet, serious mien also
gives the impression of antiquity
which he doesn't deserve.
Halls main fault yesterday was his
wildness. From the fifth inning on
he was continually getting himself IN
holes. The last three men in the fifth
inning had three balls on them. Shot
ton walked with one out. Johnston
grounded out with the count 3-2 and
Williams flied out on the same count.
Hall had a lot OF speed in the early
innings yesterday until the Srowns
had made him pitch so many balls
that he was weakened. He had a
sharp breaking curve. over which he
had none too good control and a slow
ball.
He had abov everything else, how
ever, nerve He showed II to best
advantage in the eighth and ninth in
nings Bush dropped Pratt's fly to
start the eighth Stovall singled to
left and stole, Stanage heaving a
center to get George, Pratt scoring.
That came within one Of tying the the
score. Stovall was caught trying for
third on the play and Hall tanned
Austin and Walsh.
In the ninth inning, Walker, batting
for Agnew. singled and Balenti sacri-
feed him down. Shotton went out TO
Bush and Hall went up into the air.
passing Johnston and Williams after
getting two strikes each. He
grooved one for Pratt, which the
Browns cleanup man watched go by.
Then he through a curve that was
wide. The next ball Pratt picked on
the nose, expressing IL straight TO
Louden's glove and three men were
suffocated on the bags