News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1913-11-05
The BALL PLAYER.
He Faces Many Trying 0rdeaIs
In His Early Experience.
MAKING A BIG LEAGUE CLUB.
Tribuations OF a Veteran Star Who
Started In With "Sweled Head"
and Got Fired and Then Worked His
Way Back Into Fast Company.

Started In With "Swelled Head"
and Got Fired and Then Worked His
Way Back Into Fast Company
In the American Magazine Hugh :.
| Fullerton writes an article entitled
| THE Making of Il Big Lacquer" 1t is
| a 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 Il boy ana 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 wait
| 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:
| III JNllG was pun W. q
| 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.
"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 a chance
"'iou 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 ia the lineup
tomorrow
Stage fright! Did you ever suffer
it? did that night My nerves were
jumping, and thousand times | fig
ured out pIays-yes, and made them
in planning what would do the next
day.
I'VE were playing a game against
team which we figured we would have
to beat out 10 win the championship.
| pictured myself hitting home runs
and making triple plays, and when
awoke in the morning | was nervous, a
shaky, uncertain and scared ball play
er. In practice before the game every
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 hooking. 1t was
relipf whom rho Tarna started
II was second at bat in the lineup.
on a foreign field and with hostile
crowd roaring. The first man flied
out. Wait him out Take two. said
the manager as picked up bat. The
first pitched ball cut the heart of the
plate | saw it all the way up and
knew it would have been easy to hit it
hard, yet let it go Strike one the
umpire yelled. and the crowd howled.
| was cool as Il Boston east wind. The
second ball came whiZzing up straight
over the plate with nothing on ii, and
itched to hit it, yet let it go for the
second strike
'"Then settled to hit, expecting
curve ball. The curve went wide.
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 a fast ball foot nigh.
and swung at it and struck out. My
heart nearly got spiked as it sank into
my toes going back to the bench
"'That's the boy said the manager.
wait him out. Make him pitch
81 could have kissed him for those
words | went to short with my nerves
steady and my system full of conf
dence. The first ball hit was a sizzler
over second ! got the ball with one
hand, and there wasn't chance to
throw the runner out il ! stopped to
straighten up. so | threw without look
ing and without waiting and plunged
forward onto my face. The yell from
the crowd told me the first baseman
had caught it, and as | 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 a
big leaguer-and knew it. The next
time at bat | crowded the plate Jock
eyed with the pitcher and watched He
whipped curve inside the prte. |
pretended to dodge and let the h'tl hit
me. 1t hit hard and | squirned nut as
the manager bent over me | wiuKrd at
him and. letting him lift ~" ! hnped
down to tirst-and stole Srcund on the
first ball pitched. sliding clear around
the baseman, On my third ttp To the
plate cracked a clean hiI o,,I Second
base and, after being sacrIhr'"i To sec |
ond. stole third because | Incurred no |
one would expect a recruit td hn that
I'm the clubhouse that u,ght the |
manager said, You'll do. KID If you
don't get swelled.' And I replied, I've |
gone through that"