The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-01-26


The players would point out tall, thin man, with
a wTinkled forehead and hair turning gray at the
temples and the recruit would look his NIL with rev
and awe in his eyes, " Him. was none
other than the great and only Bruno Smoker Bruno
of the Ton-thousand dollar Arm; AMI our fathers
cheered themselves hoase him the late eighties
and early ninetjes.
As the recruit took in each detail of the face and
figure, he would remember that this was pitching
rohit games away back in che Dim and distant past
when It customary for the third baseman 20 wear
q mustnchc, nud the ten-thousand-dollar wing
household phrase before the grest pitchers o. the
snt day were OF the kindergarten
To do the recruits justice, it the sight o.
of the former great ones of the diamond which
moved them so strongly. but tho thought that old
Bruno mas still pitching winning ba-.'st getting
ev.y with it,'' as they said
IN this day and generation, scsnt reverence is paid
to age, and old TO hold his must meet
conng IN competition and dofeat them. The Jap
respect the years. but have such kindly
custom. With it is a of hold the pace or go
10 the scrap hsap aud In the Blue Jay clubhouse Bruno
longer the demgod of the nineties, but fussy
old woman, sitting up nights with what remained OF
the greatest pitching Of vanished period.
Bruno SmelEer left-hander. Check the
st Of the great south paws Of tbe past and present,
aud you will understand why ball PLAYERS hold the
firm belize that every phenomenal efthander is
s'queer1 Without wishing nick tine feel
uqs of my gentleman who hurls them from the port
peculiar lefthsnders to nlstify the belief that side
wheeers and loose go together.
IF Bruno had eccentrcity, it lay in the almost
idolstrous worship which he bestrowed upon his ten
thousand-dollar II that be eccentricity then
n red fox is eccentric. II was nothing but the e1-
sravagant which Bruno lavished upon his aged
wing which made it possible for him to outast every
other left hander fn the businessand all the right
handlers There many clever young ball
players of the present period who would 10 well to
fhosr r-ho fhaSn
Young men lose their salary arms they VIII eat snow
balls in winter.
unhcard-of price for Bruno aud his left Smel
had been sensation. This happened long before
old owls Of that day blnked their eyes apd said that
the manager had made mistake. Bruno said nothing
at all; but Immediately began lusltyng the deal and
price by shaking ten thousand dollars worth of win
ming games of his loose left sleeve and 'sic EN-,
Brunoi' became the slogan Of the season
In those good old days Bruno had everything in the
worId-speed, curves control change OF pace ana ana
of the plate at will buzz straight down
ts m % bas y e ss
with his arm; later he began to pitch with MS head
Bruno lasted several seasons as big Lacquer; and
then slipped quietly away to the minors-the train.
ing school for comers aud the graveyard OF the has
the bg-league bitters were onto him.. But he was
still enough of pitcher to demand top notch minor
salary and he about the task Of making his
thousanddollar arm pay dividends as long as pos
Smoker did not have TO play ball to live, for he
had uursed his bank account even as he learned to
nurse his Lett arm and tis xbc ne i @a
must make him independent.
Bruno signed with the Blue Jays because OF the
warm climate Of their home town, The oldtime base
ball player likes warm weather-the warmer the bet,
old nrm and takes the KINKS out Of his rheumatc legs
that he able to prance and cavoTt about the da
mond like a recruit. There were several blg-league
veterans with the Blue Jays, renewing their youth
the blazing midsummer heat; and Bruno fitted IN well
For the first few seasons the old timer found that
his still equal to the task OF mixing curves
more and more upon his head coaxng his thousand
dollar with every artihce at his command Perhaps
of cutting down the number of pitched balls to the
minimum and lasting nine innings with the least pos
Of every annoying trick by which pitcher sneaks
over strike ball upon dangerous hitter; and he
with an eye saving his much work possible
The curve ball, of course. was hardest upon his
and then simply prove that he still had bend
er.'' When Bruno stopped to spit: tho catcher knew
heart to throw In instances. when there was
great need he y9ud % what M BE oS M eaes ones
great puzzler; and sometimes it would break aud some
The spectacle of this holdover from the baseball
cemetery. in the pitcher s box making pitable
exhibition of his old wabbling along Perilousy
near smash having every appearance Of bel ing harm
of his games with nothing but weiipsced straight
failed to eurage the young blood of the opposition
"Hi, hi. the coachers would yell, We'll send
this old to the cleaners. today Hes out there
ON the hill again and he t got thing but por
Gus plaster and a crutch. Back to the old soldiers
home. Wen get him today
Sometimes they ''got' him; but more often they
Aid not II he had nothing else, be still had his mar
vcous eoutrol. and he never threw man the sort OF
a ball which he liked nit. He famed very few
men unless he could catch them mapping. His spe-
ciaty was make them hit into the arr and trust
TO the ielders-a safe proposition in any league.
His solicitu3e for this ten-thousand.dolla arm IN
creased with his years of service until Il became a
sort of obsession.
''Bruno fuses over that old wing Of his like a
mother with sick baby, - Piggy Powell used 70
saw Piggy was the veteran shorstop OF the Blue JAYS
II was he who started the story that Bruno wrapped
his left arm cotton batting and sang IT TO sleep
every night.
In the spring. smelzer would make mp an immense
supply of dope for his Every pitcher has