The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1913-01-30
Few Ball Players Retire
Until They Are Forced to
Make all Kinds Of Threats During Winter, But are Usual
ly on Hand for Spring Tra~ining-Type Who spurns
Major League Offer is a Provider of Hunor.

Adclina Patti ha:; ofton made her
"farew+lls:" Barnmm also: hut neither
lof them equals. tho hall player who
proclaims TO the world that. he is tired
of drawing $4,000 or $1,000 a Year.
says Ted Sullivan. I.c, us see hos
he first sounds tn" alarm. 1t may he
hc is to marry M hcircss: or it fnaS
be a rich widow who wants him To
quit the horrid game and look out for
her interests. Still il might he that
some relative left him a mine in the
far west. One ri tn" other will be
an excuse. anyway.
His pet reporter will first hear of
S ist* and will a y "'A' NO; ''"' can't
The speaker Will say: "Ycs: it is
so. He ~coniidentialiy told me in the
dressing room yesterday that this is
his last veal in tn" game"
HAS he told tho president CT :ilr
club" the reporter will ask.
NO: he hates 20. Tie has hee'
treated SD nicely til" p"cs"n, "~'v"
says He WtM Retire.
Next morning. in large type. iii"
newspaper will lead "ir: MIR. So-and-
So is to retire from baseball"
Holy Moses! TIC follower. of -
player are tlp in %rms. ono cNritahl"
fan will say: II knew it. knew *:
I don't blame him. He mover could
gei along with That secretary and di-
rertorS." IA,
Another fan is on his fcc;: II he;
some of those other Clubs ars after
him."
The first fan remarks: Don "o,i
SOC he is to retire altogether? Going
into business will, his uncle in their
Mines"
a third fan speaks up: Well. that
Will settle the Climb. l gave it my las:
half dollar"
The next day the prcsi lent meets
true:"
dent: / am afraid it is. You see,
%r.nnot play bali forever. and this
cliancc may MOI come again. My unt IT,
has been at me the past two years Ia
quiz the game. Then. YOU see. I
bought somc property lately. on which
10 it if | quit"
pshaw.. Stay With me the com
ing ear and | will advance .ha;
amount and increase Your salary to
$4,000 for a year. You know. John. /
%cannot replace you this year at least,
land you know I have always treated
you WE'LL
Gives the Business Story.
The player looks at the president
in Il sympathetic and innocent wav:
Why. MIR. President. for that reason
it breaks my heart to leave ynu. and
hate to have you believe ! want an!
increase i'll salary: but ! will write
to uncle to allow me To stay in the
business one more Yea at least jus;
10 please you"
Well. reader this player remains in
the game that year. and man other
years afterward. and the only time he
will leave the hall field is when the
field is tired Of him. The only bail
player in the history of the same who
retired when he said he would was
Jim Mccormick. the famous Nationa!
league pitcher. who played witt,
Cieveland and Chicago.
This may 10 a little satire on the
retiring ball playcr-but who can
blame him" Don't all trades and arts
lhave their tricks: Indeed ther DO
from the minister of the gospel down.
knew of Il minister out west who
The congregation raised his salary. hr
rcconsidcrcd. and he remained with
his beloved parishioners simply be-
cause he loved them and his salary.
Are MANY Different Types.
There is another class Of wnuld-he
professional ball players who claim
they have offers from the major
league clubs. but refused them for this
and that reason. In every village 81
city in the country Won will hear the
fans say: 81 know Of q great player
nf $3.50 city. But YOU can't get him.
His folks will not allow him to play
professional baseball. and then again
he is rich and doesn't have to-"
He doesn't have to. reader. because
he knows down in his heart that he
has north" speed or nerve TO take tie
chance. II he thought he had the
ability to earn $4,000 on a ball field,
! with the Injuries of fine hotels and
sights of the best parts of the United
States. he would butt his head through
Il brick wall tn get there and leave
his $25 a month job.
Some years ago l met one of this
kind Of boys. He was IA pitcher. and
worked In Il dry goods store in a small
town in Texas. I was annoyed for
weeks by friends of mine to get this
pitcher thai they all heard of. Final
what this young man looked like. l
heard great stories about him. and
one was that nobody could beat him
before Il ladies' day audience. In fact.
he was the Beau Brulnmel pitcher Of
Texas.
met him one noon in his store ~
he was about 10 eat his monday
lunch. He heard OF my coming. and
wls glad TO see ME. I saw at once
that he was of the ethereal makeup,
more ut to excel at croquet than on
ian athletic field. .
lie began Ivy saying. as he unfoldc,l
the tissue paper from his invisible
lunch. my folks. up in Vermont. are
awfnlly againa; me playing profession
III baseball. And before ! lrf, for
| Texas they insisted that ! should huN