The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1913-10-23
CY FALKENBURG
TELLS SECRETS
Greatest Comeback in Game Tells
How He Conditioned Self

The greatest comeback in the his
tory of baseball has told how he ac-
complished the seeming impossible.
Fred j, (Cy) Falkcnberg. who was
sent from the Cleveland Maps to the
, Toledo CLUB Of the American assOcia-
ton in 1911 as a baseball been,
lives his recipe tor recovering pitch
mg ability for the benefit Of others
in the national pastime who seem TO
have reached tn, end OF their use
/ rulness i'm big leagues. "CS's" recipe
must be a GOOD one, for it is the one
Inc followed i'm coming back from the
minors to fast company and making
a record as the second best hurler hl
the game this Year. The plan Is a
simple One:
Two winters OF stulfiug curled hair
into automobile cushions, plenty OF
bowling during the cold months ana
O. careful attention TO my physical
condition were the means of my com
ing buck" said the elongated twirler
IN recent interview, Sounds simple
doesn't IT And It ia
Two years 1gc. whom the Cleve-
land managcment decided that my fast
company days were over and sent me
10 their farming team i'm Toledo, it
did look as though / would have to
finish my career I'm the minor leagues.
My friends sympathized with mo say
ing that il was merely the route all
baseball players have to travel that
the pace IN the big lea ucs was
short and merry one az best. But
couldn't agree with them even though
: had nothing but my own belief on
which To base my arguments. How
ever, | felt that l was not n dead one
and determined To work harder than
] ever had before in my life to come
lack.
We'll, succeeded. After playing
the few remaining games in the Toledo
schedule i'm 1911, | went to work in
the upholstoriBg department OF an
automobile factory For eight hours
a day and six days = week all during
that winter | operated what Is known
as tufting machine. continuance for
making back and seat cushions for
motor cars. Day by day | thumped
and pounded the long, curled hair Of
commerce into that machine, getting
It great deal more of good, solid eXer-
else for my throwing arm than if !
were pitching q game every DAY. An
during the winter 7 didn't miss an
hours work, ana almost every hour
felt my arm gettir stronger. Almost
every night / bowlcd. being mem
bcr of one OF the seven teams IN the
league formed among the factory
workers took tho best possible
care OF myself and in the spring
thanks tu the vigorous efforts of the
winter period, felt AZ fit Us ever in
my life
Il rcupcd the benefit Of my work in
the season of 1912, making AN excel
lent record for the American assoc
citation with tho Toledo team. That
winter I went right back TO Che auto
mobile factory and hair stuffing,
pounding away as hard AS ever az
the days work ano at the evenin
bowling Both did me a great deal Of
good. restoring my strength and hard
cning my muscles in great shape.
Early IN the spring of this year | was
chosen as q member of the All-Ovor-
and bowling team. which took second
money in the international tourna
ment held i'm Toledo. This spring,
having invests ated by physical condi.
tion the Cleveland management took
mo back with tho Maps. / have met
with success All during the season
ard can SCI no reason why shouldn't
bc good for several years more Of big
league baseball
As comeback pitcher, Cy has won
- games and lost s, an average or
= s., tor this season. And lac made "A
record at the beginning of the season
of winning 10 straiph Int games. This
places him second to walter Johnson.
the Washington premier twirlor.
When he was returned TO the Maps
at the beginning Of the 1913 season.
l'alkenberg was depended on only TO
help Ncnn Gregg and Fred Blanding,
the two twrlers who were then taxi
ing the houors for the Maps. His
showing has been SO good. however,
that ne Is now re arded as the best
Of the clevelanders' hurting STAFF.
Falkcnberry is by no means young
eter In baseball. having been In the