The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-04-22

MR.. NH
"and I'll hit 'em safe once in while,
but if [ had my choice I'd sacrifice
right now"
That wasn't bad for a starter, was
it? and he hadn't had a chance td
warm up either.
well. here's an easy one" bunted
Put it over the plate" Mr.. Don
lin said.
whats your whole name?'
"Just plain Mike Donlin."
"Oh, very plain, and surely there's
more of It,"
''Do you want to stretch it to a
double?
Keep right on going. It's passed
ball"
michael Joseph Donlin,'' he fielded
clean.
"Where did they hang 1T on you?"
I'm Old Ireland. of course,V Mr.. DON
lin said, although l was born in Erie,
Pa"
"Erie-Erie-what have I heard about
Erie?' l fumbled.
"Eries a place where-well, let's see
yes, every boy knows about Erie
he said "Erie's a nice place. Good
schools, splendid police department and
capitalists looking for manufacturing
sites would do well To-
Foul" I cried, giving close deci-
sion.
Il couldn't help soaking that one'
said Mr.. Donlin. you see. I've got a
lot of civic PRIDE
"Family live there?" I asked.
"All over the place." he answered
"How many in the line-up?" / in
quired
"Father and mother and six chill
dren of u.s. he said raising his right
hand after the manner of player who
falls as he catches the ball. That's 1t
six of u.s.
1.-TWO too many for a bridge game
ard three too few for a ball team"
said, Tightening up.
Its not as many as the league al
lows" he acknowledged.
"How many candles did you have on
your last birthday cake?'' l asked.
IF l were to tell YOU" Mr.. Donlin
answered, you'd think it was torch
light procession instead of birthday
cake"
Never mind. found out later that
he's only a little past 30.)
Nov, then, comes the sad, sad story
sof your life: How did you happen to
be a baseball player?' ] asked, living
up to the true interviewer's task.
Its 15 inning game with me-, said
Mr.. Dooin, "for it's been that many
years since 1 played my first game. l
was out in Las Vegas and l happened to
know an old Harvard athlete who was
secretary to the president of the Sante Fe
railroad. He got up ball team and
asked me if I'd like to join 1t. OF course
| said yes
what position did you play on the
team?'' I asked.
Ibid you ever see a player that didn't
start as a pitcher?" he laughingly re-
piled. well, so was /. They told me |
played pretty good ball and believed 1t
and so from one thing to another final
ly went up into the big league where I've
heen ever since, until | went on the
stage
what was the biggest play-the most
crucial moment in your entire baseball
career?" L asked.
.'Oh, that's easy" said Mr.. Donlin. "It
was the opening game in 1903 when the
Giants played Brooklyn. There were TO-
600 people on the grounds and the situa-
tion was sort of Casey-at- the-Bat effect.
There wasn't but one place on the ground
that / could send the horsehide pill to
make home run. Well to make a long
story short, did it. | won the game.
1t took me 10 minutes to get around and
then the people almost tore the clothes
off of my back | thought 7 was some
hero OH it was great,'
player in America today?" | asked
without hesitation Mr. Donlin said:
'"Ty Cobb. No other player has ever,
two years In succession done what he
bas-batted over 400. You'd have to do
some hustling to beat that Burkatt Del
hanty and Duffy have all done it one
year, but nobody but Cobb has ever put
it over two years in succession"
.Was there ever any special pitcher
tbot Won feared?'' | asked
Jack Pfiester--with the Chicago Cubs.
said Mr. Donlin, was the one that got
my goat. You can say for me, that he
had the finest herd of Angoras from the
Giants during the season of 1908 that
could be found in America He was a
southpaw, and we had six left handed
men on our team. and as it is pretty
hard for a left handed batter to hit a
left handed pitcher, they worked the
southpaw against us all the time Plies
ter wasn't any big bones. He didn't
make good enough to stay in the big
league. but just sumped-every time he
was on the mound somehow"
..Since you've been playing BALL" I
asked. ''have you noticed that women are
more interested in the game than for
merlyY'
s.Oh yes," said Mr.. Donlin. that is
easily explained though. | always knew
sooner or later they would be- because
a woman secs baseball from her own
narticular angle. There's the diamond
which she always has in her mind, where
the players are engaged, then the strug-
giles and the hits, then the men going out.
and the difficulty they have getting home,
and the batter, and the flies and the
foufw)ls and-the ties and"
INT realized that / had made an
error In giving him a chance to pun
that way and | was glad when the game
was called on account of darkness.