The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-02-10
ROBERTSON SENDS
HIS CONTRACT IN
Portsmouth Player Will Be With
New York Giants Again
This Season.
This Season.
Especial TO The 1imes-Dispatch1

Especial TO The Times-Dispatch.
Portsmouth, Va, February 9.-Davis
a. Robertson, the youthful Portsmouth
Ian. has sent his contract In to the
office OF the New York National League
baseball club, and within the next ten
days he will be on his way to Mnrlin,
Tex, to Join Wilbert Robinson and tho
annual spring workout on the New
York clubs own practice grounds.
Taere Robertson will go under the
critical eye of Coach Robinson. Man
aser McGraw and Captain Larry Doyle
will go TO Marlin with the re-
cruits instead OF waiting for the band
of regulars They arc not to report
for spring training until about two
weeks after the recruit camp in Mar
lin.
Robertson, or Robbie" as his asso-
ciates OH the New York club like to
call him. has been spending the winter
with his parents in this city. He is
feeling finely. all except his arm. which
has given him no little trouble since
he was in football mishap at the
North Carolina Agricultural and Me-
chanical Institute before he went to
the metropolis last season to report to
McGraw.
His Troublesome Pitching Arm.
One of the bones of his pitching
shoulder was injured in that accident;
hurt to such an extent that he has
found il unpleasant to undertake any
serious wind-up, the kind that made
him famous when he twirled for the
a. and NJ, and the sort that sent the
Giant scouts and the trSilers OF sew
eral other big league clubs scurrying
after him in the effort TO get his Sig
nature on contracts. It was in those
days that Robbie" was shooting them
across in pewildering manner, so
battling in fact, that fifteen and twenty
batsmen in every game wcro flashing
the ozone frnntically and fruitlessly
in their efforts to connect. Robertson
himself seems n bit fearful about his
future pitching ability, and thinks an
outfield position would suit him i'm
mensely. He says he can throw the
bali all right: it's the windup that
has been difficult.
Asked if he thought his injury would
prevent him from playing first base.
he said not. All that is required there,
in handling the ball, is a snap throw.
he said, and he finds no trouble in
making those. In fact, NIcGraw put
season, and worked him in the out
field also.
VIII Visit nm Old Friend.
When he leaves here. which will he
very soon. he will 30 to Tampa, Fla.
where Curley Gray, one Of his old
chums, is wintering. He is to be
Curley's guest for few days. Then
he will so to New Orleans and en-
bark for Galveston, and then take
train to Marlin.
MathewSon, he learned n few days
ago. Will so South from New York OF,
Outbound steamer. He asked Rob
crtson to make the trip with him. but
prefers to stop Oft in Tampa, and make
the rest of the journey to Marlin by
way of the Crescent City and Calves
ton.
or his associates on the New York
team Robertson speaks In the highest
terms. He has a kind word for Snod-
grass. whose disastrous muff contrib
uted largely to the loss of the worlds
series last season, and so he had
lew boosts here and there for other
members Of the club, all of whom he
found TO be fine fellows.
Thorpe n" Stranger to Him.
Jim Thorpe. the Indian who was
grabbed by McGraw last week, after
the professionalism of the greatest
athlete in the world was exploded, and
the trophies he won abroad were ship
ped back because he played baseball
down In .ne Carolina League, Is not q
stranger to Robertson lie knew Thorpe
when he played ball down In Carolina.
IN iact. he knew all the time that
the Jim Thorpe who startled the ath-
letic world by his prowess in the
Stockholm Olympic games and was
pc'''cu upon pE nobility abroad, was
the same Thorpe who played baseball
III the Old North State while Robert
son was attending the y. and NJ. Then.
again. he met Thorpe in a track meet
in Philadelphia, in which he himself
was a participant
Davis ventured the oninion th.t
ihFope be quite drawing card
FOR the Giants in New York and on
the road
He'd Rather Not Talk baseball
robertson is decidedly modest re-
g".ding his baseball connections He
doesn't care much about discussing
ms association with the team that has
managed 10 keep very much in the
inehSht IN the baseball world In fact
ned prefer 10 have You talk about
something else other than baseball
when you're in his company While he
likes the game, he doesn't let il absorb
all OF his attention. 1t isn't foremost
in his thoughts. by any means for
ne mas an eye to professional career
other than that of baseball. Medicine
Tor instance. seems to be to his liking.
ana he. confided the information that
lie may yet dabblc further in COLLEGE
courses 10 acquire his NJ d.
but aside from those incliuations
ms contract for the 1913 baseball sco
son is liz the hands of Secretary Eos
Ter OF the Giants, ana his address for
me next month or so will be Arlington
Hotel, Marlin, Texas