Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1913-09-05
| III The: BALL PLAYER !. /,
He Faces Many Trying 0rdeals
In His Early Experience.
MAKING A BIG LEAGUE CLUB.

Tribulations Of a Veteran Star Who
Started In With "sweiIed Head"
and Got Fired and Then Worked HE
Way Back into Fast Company.
/ In the American Magazine Hugh 8.
Fullerton writes an article entitled
1.-The Making of Big Lacquer" 1t is
true story OF. the development of one
Of the greatest ball players in the
United States as told by himself to
MIR. Fullerton. This player, of course,
began the game as a boy and passed
through all the stages from amateur to
minor league teams and then into the
big league. In this early experience be
became great victim Of the ''swelled
head" hit the first ball pitched when
be went to bat after being told to wait
FOR two strikes and finally lost his posi-
ton on the big league team. After
many vicfssitudes he lost his ''swelled
head" and got into the big league
again. where today, at thirty -four
years Of age. be is one of the great
veterans Of the game. OF his final en-
trance into the big league he says:
I'm June was purchased for
large sum by the club which then was
the strongest in the country. l didn't
say word about money. although the
club paid over $4,000 for noe. The new
manager sat down with me in the
hotel the night joined his team.
"'All I want lie said. is for you to
get out there and hustle and behave
yourself. I've heard you're hard to
handle. but I'll take chance
"'You won't have any trouble with
me- assured him. All want is
chance to show that can play
"'You'!l get all the chance you want
he said quietly. You're in the lineup
tomorrow
Stage fright! Did you ever suffer
it? did that night My nerves were
jumping. and thousand times | fig
ured out plays-yes. and made them
in planning what would do the next
day.
I'VE were playing Il game against a
team which we figured we would have
to beat out TO win the cha nlpiOnship
pictured myself hitting home runs
and making triple plays. and when
aw0ke in the morning | was nervous. a
shaky. uncertain and scared ball play
err. In>pra:tice before the game every
thing hit My way | either fumb!ed or
threw wild as my nerves were rags
The crowd seemed to be sorry for me
When they weren't hooking. 1t was d
! relief when the game started.
II was second ut bat in the lineup
on a foreign field and With Il hostile
crowd roaring. The first man flee
out. Wait him out. Take two said
the manager us | picked up a bat. The
first pitched ball cut the heart Of tn"
plate. saw it all the way up and
knew it would have been easy TO hit it
hard. vet ! let it go Strike ONE. the
umpire yelled. ANA the crowd hoW.ed
| was cool as Il i,nS.on east wind. The
second ball clrie whiZZing Np straight
over the plate with nothing on it. and
itched to hit it. yet let it ga for the
second strike
Then | settled to hit. expecting a
curve ball. The curve Went wide.
fast one went high and wide. figured
that the pitcher thought he had suck
er at bat and would curve one over,
He came with a fast ball Il foot high.
and swung at it and struck out. My
heart nearly got spiked as it sank into
my toes going back to the bench
""That's the boy said the manager.
Wait him out. Make him pitch
Il could have kissed him for those
words | went to short with my nerves
steady and my system full OF conf
dence. The first bali hit was sizzier
over second. got the ball with enc
hand. and there wasn't a chance to
throw the runner out ii stopped to
~traighten up. so threw without look
ing and without waiting and plunged
forward onto my face. The yell from
the crowd told me the first ba>eman
had caught it. and as l scraped the
dust out Of my eyes and trotted back
to position felt at home.
III wasn't excited nor eiated. bnt the
commence ilIu Val lC1l PHEC I'LL OuSh
the minor leagues came back with
rush and all fear was gone. ! was
big Ieaguer-and knew it. The next
time at bat I crowded the plate, jock
eyed with the pitcher and watched. He
whipped curve inside the plate.
pretended to dodge and let the bah hit
me. 1t hit hard and ! squirmed. but as
the manager bent over me winked at
him and. letting him lift me. lfmped
down to first-and stole second on the
first ball pitched. sliding clear around
the baseman. On my third trip to the
plate cracked a clean hit over second
base and. after being sacrificed to Sec
ond, stole third because figured no
one would expect recruit to do that
"In the clubhouse that night the
manager said. You'll do. kid. If you
don't get swelled.' And replied. I've
gone through that"