The Washington times., 1913-03-23
DAN MOELLER z
YEARS OLD TODAY
Rochester Rambler Celebrates
Birthday on Easter Sunday
At Charlottesville.
COMES FROM ROCHESTER
Together With Fateem Foster,
He Was Setting Old Eastern
League on Fire With Work.
COMES FROM ROCHESTER
By SENATOR

By "SENATOR."
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va, March q.
-'Tisn't many a man who celebrates
his birthday on Easter Sunday, and yet
that's what Daredevil Dan Moeller Is
doing today. The Rochester Rambler
appeared on the face of the globe
twenty-seven years ago this morning,
and was seen to be cut out for a base
ball player. He sojourned while at
high school, then took a course in base
ball, football, and track athletics at
Millihsn University, near his home, and
as soon as he dared he Joined a pro-
fessional baseball club. He has been
baeeballing ever since.
Moeller got his first big league chance
with the Pittsburg Pirates, but he was
a mere kid at that time, and so did
not hang on longer than a minute or
two. He was sent back to the tall
grass for more seasoning. For two or
three seasons he played in the old
Eastern League, now the International
League He and Eddie Foster were
teammates, and they began to pull OF
things together, Moeller doing the
scurrying on the sacks and Foster the
biting with the bat.
In 1911 they were with the champion
Rochester club, and Jawn CANCEL figured
on keeping them to put another pennant
into Rochester in 1912. But Jeems Nc
Aleer, facing a storm Of criticism in the
National Capital from wild-eyed bugs
who just demanded that he get a de-
cent ball club together or, quit the
league in disgust, sent Mike kahoe,
prize scout. to take a couple Of peeks
at Moeller and Foster.
Mike returned to Washington with eyes
az big as new dollars. He reported to
McAleer that he had seen two of the
best-looking youngsters 1t had ever been
his fortune to look at In action. So
Jeems coughed up some OF the clubs
good money to rush over to Rochester
and see for himself.
Camel Was Unwilling.
Jawn CANCEL, remembering the needs
Of the following campaign, was unwill-
ing to part with his two prizes, but
he finally agreed to throw in Spencer,
a red-topped first baseman, with Noel
Ter and Foster for vivid" Conroy, Jack
Lelivelt, and Dolly Gray. In this
deal Jawn tried to be crazy like fox,
figuring on getting the three players
from Washington and having at least
one of the MoelIer-Foster duo returned
to him. And right there was where
Jawn over-reached himself.
Jeems McAleer fell into a swamp and
came up with bag of dollars, for with
the world against him in Washington
and his official life in danger, he saw
an opportunity to grab a piece, a large
hunk, too, of the Boston club and he
grabbed He fitted from the Capital
amid signs of relief from the fans and !
forgot all about Moeller and Foster |
for a few months. !
Along came "Old Fox Griffith. He |
had never seen the Moeller-Foster COM !
bination, but he recognized their worth !
at a glance. He slapped Foster on the /
hot corner and, after trying out Schae- |
fer and "Tilly" Walker in right, he put !
Moeller there to stay. Then Jeems Nc |
Aleer found causes for remembering |
that pair. Yes. and lot Of other wise |
guys IN this league began to take notice |
OF their twin achievements.
Leads Place Hitters.
"Fateem' Foster. the Chicago midget, |
leads the league in place hitting. Wash |
ington bugs didn't know this at first, !
but as soon as Daredevil Dan, patented |
collapsible shoulder and all, got into
the game regularly. the midget began /
pulling Off this trick every time he
found Moeller on first. They hadn't /
been doing this in the minors for a |
couple Of seasons for nothing, you see,
kind people.
At Milliken University MoelIer was
one of the very best young sprinters in |
sight. The coach used to take him
aside and tell him how to lift up his
left toe and drop his right heel, and all
that stun coaches tell athletes SO that
he was soon found to have the speed
of the morning in his heels, and. with
Foster to burn the pill to right, il was
a mere jaunt for the Rochester ram
bier to reach third without draw wing an
extra breath on the way.
"Moeller walked and went to third on
Fosters drive to right" began to ap-
pear In the papers so often that George
Cohan almost wrote a play about It. |
lifting 1t to cheerful tunes and madcap
oancee in real Cohanesque fashion. |
The Washington scIibes wore out those
letters on their machines, they dreamed
of this play at night they tried to twist
il to no avail, and finally concluded that
Moeller and Foster were in the big
show to stick. They are too. boys. for
the writer hasn't seen anything down
here TO oust either from his rightfuI
place with the Climbers.
Moeiier Is Fortunate.
But Moeller is a fortunate cuss. He
had q bum shoulder last year. II the
breeze blew, his left shoulder grace
fully slid out of place. II he thought
too hard about. it did it again, So
frequently he sat on the bench and
grinned as '"Tilly" Walker swung lige a
gate or chased grounders to the wall
BY the time ''Tilly" blew away. several
battles, ''OId Fox" Griffith thought up
a great scheme
Noeller was TO pass the winter with
bunch of long-haired osteopaths In
Missouri. living on a diet and going
through Swedish calisthenics morning,
noon and night in the hopes of report
ing in perfect shape. But Dan didn't
do that awful thing. He stayed right |
at home, sitting behind the kitchen
stove and whiting stick He raised
his left arm only when he shaved. Lo,
q miracle took place. His patented
collapsible shoulder mended. 1t grew
strong. A muscle or two grew a bit
and now the feet-footed Rochester
Rambler Is playing the most daring ball
IN camp. excepting Joe Gedeons efforts
TO tag runners at second, which has no
equal even in Australia.
Therefore, today is a dav of jubilation
for Moeller. He put on a clean collar
bought himself regular cigar. had a
shine and grinned. for II is his birthday,
Easter Sunday. and his shoulder seems
right once more. No wonder the lads
glad. wouldn't You be, too, under the