The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-02-16
The Loosening Up of
Hogan

and the click and rattle Of poker chips oothcd him
sleep.
From the beginning Hogan had been somewhat of a.
mystery. Tho paragraphers, who love to deve into
the past of every recruit had been forced accept
bare statement that he from the somewhere
and that might have been any town between San
Diego and Nome.
When Hogan began to pitch. and his remarkable
Jump ball attalued reputation several scouts the
trail OF will-o 'the-wisp jumpers, made it
their business to take good look at Monk Lawson g
una; but not one of them able to state that he
had ever seen Hogan before Not Ernie Lanigan,
b re nome sow& OF every man IN any
into the baseball armament, rocket from regions
Monk Lawson, who claimed that be had discovered
the phenomenon, knew very little about him, and
was bound by promise to tell the little he knew.
The Ponies were in spring training when the uu-
known made his first appearance and sought out the
''Mr, Lawson, understand you in the market
for good pitcher or or two?" said the stranger
country for pitching material and all the fans between
the Golden Gate and Sandy Hook of the
fact: Lawson had been looking the season IS
catch, and be was not optimistic about it, So he
grqntsd
known. ''I believe I win wo-thirds of my games
with this club
Just a sccond,'' said the stranger ''You re a
business man, take it. If pitch thirty games for
dollars and my expenses for the season. If fall below
n yh1f mark ri ToS pay nothing but the expenses I'm
you're loony."
'I've seen some Of your new men at work this af-
teruoon' said the stranger cheerfuy. eff YOU can
stand for some of them, you ought to be willing to
''seo here, said Lawson, 'what makes YOU think
you wn wothirds of your games in real league
You ever done any pitching in fast comPany?'
"T6en you are crazy.''
Not until you've seen me work. persisted the
stranger. 'Give me few days to Timber up in, and
then try out against your regular team III gamble
cost tine ToS cent Ma In do hS @an You
lose anything and you may win Is that fair enoughT"
ffHogan.'
''Hogan? You don t look like Hogan to me
''John j. Hogan said the young man ''lt's
good baseball name ,,
regular monaker'n
FThat's my business. It's enough for yoa to know
In an an amateur an;j in good good standing
Nevertheless Hogan worked with the rest of the
aquab pitchers for ten days or So sweated off eight OF
and earned he chance to pitch practice game against
That night Monk Lawson brought out contract
'sNov, see here, said the manager, '.I want TO
"a s'sss ssaR ssS sa'f HHSEs" c.n M
con the level9'' 8
''Well, you re bird then Nobodys got any strings
on you? No contracts lying around: ~
EFNot the scratch of PEN
stOue thing more said Hogan, ~ would rather
nothing said about the terms of this contract II
ANYBODY asks YOU. my name is Hogan, and m from
we'll say Texas That's big state. Family reasons;
II won t say a word - promised Lawson. ''Theyd
probably think was, crazy to give man a contract
like this and they'd know you were crazy for signing
it. I'm willing to make it fifteen hundred for the sea-
son on straight salary 1 G mater mat ovaT hoT
''No'' said Hogan "Three thousand or nothlug
I'll take the chance, and if win the twenty games
won t be robbing Won OF anything at that
''I should say not!''
sion that John J. Hogan would win his reckless gamble
He had been Of the sensational pitching discoveries
insTOom n eoeTe2saons stopped Eben he pterieetgd
The mbe Of SeT oaa y yhsF s cruel m
the Coventry system Hogan bore il we'll and his con-
formlv form Courteous Monk Lawson liked him and, feel
ing that his parsimouy was due to lack Of money,
made him many offers of advances Hogan refused
SfThere's a reason why ] must have certain
amount of money as soon as possible he said eff
'9You d blow it, said Monk. t.I know, Well, kid
Won savvy your business best
Hogan did know his own business best; knew it we'll
enough to keep his mouth shut which is is the % apfoms hn
given anything to tell his troubles 20 sympathetic
listener. for Hogan was only twenty three,
sixteen games and lost FIVE. According to the terms
the agreement all OF eSPSnSes "e'.
naid bv the club. when the team was playing at
home His modest hotel bills were forwarded to the
management and Monk often wondered If theeptcher
spent ANYTHING all upon amusements, or If he had
anv money spend, The boy always well dressed
and his linen fresh and clean bis WARDROBE sho"eo
no signs of parsimony.
Lawson had often wondered about this phase Of the
situation and the mystery cleared UP evening
whom the manager called upon Hogan at hls quarters
in the hotel while the team was at homo. There were
tyo trunks in the of them immense ward
robe affar-and the bureau Uttered with silver
backed toilet articles of which had ever been
seen tour. .. -,
Lots OF class to you, kid, said Monk. :. You We
got enough silver Junk there TO start store
lIIt.. Linz g.