Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1913-09-17
MAKING A BALL PLAYER.
Some of the Experiences of Big
Lacquer in Growing Up With
the Game.

OF one or the greatest ball players in
the United States as told by himself
to Mr.. 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 he became a great
victim of the ''swelled head" and
finally lost his position on the big
league team. After many vicissi-
tudes he lost his ''swelled head" and
got into the big league again, where
today, at thirty-four years of age,
he is one of the great veterans of
the game. OF his final entrance in
to the big league he says
''In June, / was purchased for
large sum by the club which then
was the strongest in the country.
didn't say a word about money, al
though the club paid over four thou
sand dollars for me. The new man
ager sat down with me in the hotel
the night Joined his team.
All / want, he 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, l assured him. All / want is
chance to show that | can play"
You'll get all the chance you
want" he said quietly. You're in
the lineup tomorrow"
Stage fright! Did you ever suffer
it? l did that night. My nerves
were jumping and thousand times
figured out plays-yes, and made
them-in planning what l would do
the next day.
We were playing a game against
team which we figured we would
have to beat out to win the champi-
onship. l pictured myself hitting
home runs and making triple plays,
and when | awoke in the morning
| was nervous, shaky, uncertain
and scared ball player. In practice
| before the game everything hit my
way l either fumbled or threw wild,
as my nerves were rags. The crowd
they weren't hooking. 1t was re-
| lief when the game started.
/ was second at bat in the lineup,
on foreign field and with e hostile
crowd roaring The first man flied
out wait him out. Take two"
said the manager as | picked up a
bat. The first pitched ball cut the
heart of the plate. l saw it all the
way up and knew 1t would have been
easy to hit it hard, yet l let 1t go.
Strike one," the umpire yelled, and
the crowd howled. / was cool as a
Boston east wind. The second ball
came whizzing up, straight over the
plate with nothing on it, and itch
ed to hit it, yet let it go for the. sec
ond strike Then / settled to hit,
expecting a curve ball The curve
went wide, fast one went high and
wide. l figured that the pitcher
thought he had sucker at bat and
would curve one over. He came with
fast ball foot high and l swung
at it and struck out. My heart near
ly got spiked as it sank into my toes
going back to the bench
That's the boy, said the man
ager. wait him out. Make him
pitch.
could have kissed him for those
words. l went to short with my
nerves steady and my system full of
confidence. The first ball hit was
sizzler over second. | got the ball
with one hand and there wasn't
chance to throw the runner out if
stopped to straighten up, SO threw
without looking and without wait
ing, and plunged forward onto my
face. The yell from the crowd told
me the first baseman had caught it,
and as l scraped the dust out of my
eyes and trotted back to position /
felt at home. | wasn't excited nor
elated, but the confidence that had
carried me through the minor
leagues came back with rush and
all fear was gone. was Dig
leaguer-and knew 1t. The next
time at bat / crowded the plate, joe
keyed with the pitcher, and watch
ed. He whipped curve inside the
plate. / pretended to dodge and let
the ball hit me. 1t hit hard and
squirmed, but as the manager bent
over me, | winked at him and, let
ting him lift me, | limped 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 sacri
feed to second, stole third because
/ figured no one would expect re-
oruit m do that In the club house