The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-04-03
Cy Seymour Was
Once a Pitcher,
So Writer States

J. Bentley Seymour is with the EOS
ton Nationals J. bentley is more
widely known as ICY" under which
short and sweetly rural appellation
he Is known from the New England
league TO the farthernost stretches
of the American association. Cy was
once a pitcher. lie had the speed OF
a Rusie, but the wild man of Borneo
was a bush Lacquer compared to Cy
when ii came to control He came
into the lmehght as q member OF
the Giants so long ago that even
John b. Foster would have TO grow
young 10 remember il. Arthur Dew
lin was playing In Georgetown long af-
ter Cy was a big league pitcher in
his neteoric. not to say vicissitudinai,
career, and Arthur is no colt.
Whoever was manager at the time,
John Ward. or some equally wise old
timer. decided that Cy was wonder,
but needed more seasoning, with the
sole exception of pepper. Cy always
had plenty Of that. So Cy was ship
ped UP Holyoke way. or somewhere in
the Connecticut Valley. and set the
river league on fire He went back
to the Giants cured OF his wildness,
it was said. but when he went 10 the
slab Old Mr.. Coot. who was said to
be some wild. looked tame alongside
OF CIV.
Cy would strike out n man. then is
sue five passes in succession, strike
out another man. issue a half dozen
more tickets TO first, and then would
fan the last man If the latter refused
to wait for his transportation. This
was sort Of discouraging to the rest
of the team, especially the catcher,
who used to irnplore Cy.to please give
the rest of the men a chance to work.
It was of no use, and after Cy had
broken all records for issuing passes,
he was told 20 go to the bench and
stay there.
However. Cy could bang the bali.
and one day Ii was discovered that he
was no SLOUGH in the outf1eld. That
determined his career. He became an
outfielder and a terror TO other Pitch
ers. He was one of the hardest and
most timely hitters who ever stayed
season after season in the big leagues.
He was kind of peevish, too Even
Joe Kelley when he and Cy were to-
gether on the Cincinnati team had to
reprove C'y more than once for UNI
seemly kicking at the umpire. and Joe
was not altogether prone to let the
umpire get away with everything.
Which indicates that Cy had de-
parted from the Giants He had, He
travelled the circuit with the Reds,
but came back TO his own under John
McGraw and played great ball for
the little Napoleon, Then he went
to Baltimore. when he lost some of
his speed. but his batting eye Is still
keen, and Cy looked so good to Seorge
Stallings last year in the International
league that George hooked him up
for the Boston Braves,
SO there he is today, playing the
outer garden for the beaueaters and
wondering between innings how IL
happens that ne and Arthur Devlin
are together again.
Arthur is regarded as a veteran,
too. these days while Titus. of the
Braves, is no youngster. They are
all great players. however, and young
Maransville. the crack shortstop of
the Boston boys, can learn lot from
these artists Maransvirie is a pref
tv nifty player. one of the speediest
ever seen In these parts. Young Con-
nelly. late of Washington, Is another
good man. and before long George
Stallings will be lining up an aggre-
cation that will beat out that Brook
lyn bunch for all of Jake Daubert
and Stengei. Nap Rucker and Smithy.
the third sacker, who looks like
real big Lacquer.
To be sure. the Boston club has few
stars. Bill Sweeney is probably the
gem of them all. but Perdue, Tyler
and this young man Maransviile do
not look so very poor. II the vete-
rams Seymour Deviin. Titus and Kirke
and Vincent Campbell ever get on
batting spree and Stallings can teach
the rest ok-them the art of getting
on. the Boston Braves will develop
scoring machine. and no mistake. It's
no world heater at present. but IT Is
by no means a tail-end outfit.
And the Giants come tomorrow.