The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1913-09-05
The BALL PLAYER.
He Faces Many Trying 0rdeaIs
In His Early Experience.
MAKING A BIG LEAGUE CLUB.
Tribulations Of Veteran Star Who
Started In With a "Swelled Head"
and Got Fired and Then Worked His
Way Back Into Fast Company.


In the American Magazine Hugh 8.
: Fullerton writes an article entitled
'"Ihe Making of Big Leaguers" 1t is
n true story Of the development of one
OF 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" hit the FIRST ball pitched when
he went to bat after being told TO walt
FOR two strikes and finally lost his posi-.
ton on the big league team. After
many vicissitudes 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. or his final en-
trance into the big league he says:
I'm June was purchased for a
! large sum by the club which then was
the strongest In the country | didn't
say a word about money, although the
! club paid over $4,000 for me. The new
manager sat down with me In the
hotel the night | joined his team.
IAN / want he said, is for you TO
get out there and hustle and behave
yourself I've heard you're hard to
handle. bat I'll take chance
"'You won't have any trouble with
me- | 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? did that night. My nerves were
jumping. and a thousand times fig
ured out plays-yes. and made them
I'm planning what ] would do the next
day.
1--WE were playing game against a
team which we figured we would have
to beat out TO win the mpiOnship
pictured myself hitting home runs
and making triple plays. and when l
awoke In the morning | was nervous. a
shaky, uncertain and scared ball play
=
thing hit my way either fumbled or
threw wild, as my nerves were rags
The crowd seemed TO be sorry for me
when they weren't mocking. IL was a
relief when the game started
IL was second at bat I'm the lineup,
on foreign field and with a hostile
Mowd roaring. The FIRST san fled
sut Wait him out. Take two said
the manager as picked mp bat. The
first pitched ball cut the heart of the
plate ! saw II all the way up and
knew IL would have been easy to hit IL
hard. yet | let II go Strike one the
umpire yelled. and the crowd howled.
l was cool rs Boston east wind. The
second ball came whzzing mp straight
over the plate with nothing on It, and
| itched 10 hit IL, yet let ii go for the
second strike
"Then settled TO hit, expecting q
curve ball The curve went wide A
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 fast ball foot high, |
and | swung at IL and struck out. My |
heart nearly got spiked ms II sank into |
my toes going back to the bench
"'That's the boy said the manager. |
Wait him out Make him pitch
II could have kissed him for those |
words | went 10 short with my nerves |
steady and my system full OF conf. |
dence. The first ball hit was a sizzler |
over second ! got the BAH with one |
hand, and there wasn't a chance TO |
throw the runner out il ! stopped 10 |
straighten un. So ! threw without look
ing and without waiting and plunged |
forward onto my face The yell from
the crowd told me the 6rst baseman |
had caught IL, and MS | scraped the |
dust out OF my eyes and trottcd back
to position I felt at home
Il wasn't excited nor eated, but the
confidence that had carried me through
the minor leagues came back with a
rush and all fear was gone was a
big leaguer and knew IT, The next
time at bat | crowded the plate. jock
eyed with the pitcher and watched He
whipped a curve inside the plate. ]
pretended to dodge and let the ball hit
me. II hit hard and squirmed. but ms
the manager bent over me | wnked at
him and. letting him lift me. limped
down to first st-and stole second on the
first ball pitched. sliding clear around
the baseman On my third trip TO the
plate cracked clean hit over second
base and. after being sacrificed to sec
Dnd. stole third because ! figured no
one would expect recruit To do that.
I'm the clubhouse that uight the
manager said. 'You'l do. kid II you
don't get swplled.' Aud | replied. I've
gone through that"
IA. - Eiy. M.,t. , nay