El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-10-20
HOW A PITCHER WAS
ABLE TO COME BACK
Puts In a Winter Stuffing Hair in Au-
tOmObiIe Cushions and Rowling
Gets Arm Into Shape.

The greatest comeback in the history
of baseball has told how ne accom- i5.LL5
plished the seeming impossible Fred
p. CCy'O Falkenberg. VINO was sent
from the Cleveland Maps to the To-
ledo club of the American ass to4Is
ton in 1911 as a baseball has-been,
gives his recipe for recovering pltch-
ing ability, for the benefit OF others
in the national pastlme VINO seem
to have reached the end of their use
fitness in big leagues Cy recipe
must be a good one, Tor II IS me one
he followed in coming PACK ICoIE tAe
minors to fast company anu Iud-AIAS d
record as the second best hurIer II the
game this year. The plan Is simple
one. - s+,,4f5re, cnr1ed hair
into automobile cushions, plenty OF
bowling during the cold months ana
careful attention to my physlcdI co On.
ditiOn were the means OF my COii ~
back" said the elongated tWlrIer IN a
recent interview SOUNDS Simple
doesn't it? And it is.
ssT7vTO years ago. when the cleveland
mana cement decided that my fast com
pany days were over and sent me 70
their farming team In Toledo. II QlQ
look as though 1 would nave 70 Ilh 1S
~ career in the minor leagues My
friends sympathized with me, saying
that il was merely the route al DdSS
ball players have to traveI. tnae IN, me
pace in the big leagues was short
and merry one at best. But coQ1Qn
agree with them. even though nay
nothing but my own DeIleI on " ~
to base my arguments However
felt that 1 was not dead one anu
determined TO work harder tnan
ever had before in my life to come
We'll. I succeeded. After playing the
few remaining games IN the 1OIeSO
schedule in 1911. went to work IN tne
uDholstering department Of an auto
mobile company in Toledo FOR eiSnI
hours a day and six days a week al
during that winter 1 operated Wnat -
known as tufting machine conlIl-
vance for making back and seat cusn-
ions for motor cars Day oy Gay,
thumped and pounded tne LONG ~ 4s -
hair of commerce into that machine;
Getting a great deal more good. SONG
exercise for my throwing arm Ihan II
l were pitching game every gay Al
, during the winter / dldn MISS al
hours work and almost every hour
felt my arm getting stronger AlInoSC
every night bowled. being a member
of one of the seven teams IN the league
formed among the factory workers
took the best possible care or mySelI
and in the spring. thanks to the V1go5-
Gus efforts OF the winter psIIOu' -
as fit as ever in my life This SprlnS-
having investigated my physical conoi-
ton. the Cleveland management took
me back with the Maps nave OeSn
meeting with success all during the
season and can see no reason why
shouldn't be good for seVerI years
more of big league baseball
In 1908 Falkenberg pitched for the
Washington and Cleveland teams, win
ming eight games and losing SIX IN the
following season he pltched the Maps
to victory 10 times and lost nine games;
In 1910 Cy's record was elEnt won ana
five lost and in 1911 he had II games
won and 1S lost. to his credit. His av-
erage for the four consecutive years
of 54S. and the fact that he was able
TO pitch only is games a season. caused
the Cleveland club officials to send
him to Toledo. In his first season
there he led all the American assocl-
alton pitchers with % victories and
eight defeats. a rating Of .75S.
As a comeback pitcher. Cy has won
% games and lost eight. an average OF
1888 for this season And he made
record at the beginning Of the season
of winning 10 straight games inns
places him second to Walter Johnson.
the Washington premier tw1rler-