The Washington times., 1914-03-29

Clark Griffith does on a close play call
! ed against him when / told him / had
| chance to go with the Augusta club
You won't be gallivanttng around the
country playing ball." said he. but
when you finish there. do some real
| work."
Started at Seventeen.
After a long argument, I finally in.
| duo ed him to let me try It for one sea.
| scn. I was seventeen when I went with
| Augusta, and. after two days Of the
! season. they canned me. BY this time
my father had taken moro kindly to
the idea Of me playing. because he had
seen some good notices about my work
In the Augusta papers during the prac-
tice period and especially after i got q
double and a home run In the opening
game OF the season. / have found out
since that he made 1t his duty to Jour-
| first game OF bali Of the 1904 season In
Augusta, although he did not tell me
he was among those present until some
! time afterward. When StrutherS the
Augusta manager. released me because
he dech red was not fast enough. my
father vas sore. He was never one to
quit. and he would not let his son.
50 long as you arc in II now. you've
got to stick long enough to show them
that they were wrong, Tyrus." he said.
am still sticking in my effort to con-
vince.
Where can you play now?' he asked
me.
1 told him had an offer to 60 to An
, League. for very much less money.
You'd better take It. my hoy" he
decided. and / did.
The next season I was in the big
league at the age Of eighteen. 30 II
will be seen that I got my chance to
start at an early age. even for a baIl
player. and by the time vas twenty l
was making good money.
II a boy begins In the big league be-
fors he Is twenty. he has several sea-
sons ahead when he can draw a good
SALARY for working Only about six
months each year at baseball. During
the OF season. there Is an opportunity
for him to establish some other business
into which he can retire after he wears
out as big Lacquer The theoretical
lie Of a big league ball player IS ten
years, but many last longer than that
now by taking good care Of themselves
and conserving their natural resources
This Will be Mathewson's fourteenth
season. and pitching Is supposed to wear
out a man quicker than any other form
OF baseball work. But the great twirler
of the Giants has taken wonderful care
Of himself. and has studied the game
to discover the best methods to make
himself last.
Should Have Money.
II a man can spend ten years in the
big league. he should have laid away
enough at the end Of that time to be
in comfortable position. unless. Of
course. he has been unfortunate In in
vestments. Johnny" Evers. once the
manager Of the Cubs. had all the money
he got out OF baseball I'D to a few
years ago in a couple Of shoe stores
and he went broke on these. John had
to begin all over again. practically in
making out pretty well at the last re-
ports ] saw in the newspapers.
To devote a little more space to the
cash end Of the baseball business, 1t is
Il profession in which the money IL al
ways there on the Ist and 18th Of each
month. In other words, 1t IL a business
where you can get the ready cash without
any trouble. ad they do pay good sala-
ries. especially since the Federal League
has started to try to drill its way into
popularity with the fans.
Aside from the cash consideration,
ther, are numerous others that make
the life of ball player an attractive
ono, although ] will admit that the
good money Is its strongest boost with
nit st OF us who are In tn. game. How
meet many prominent persons who
would not care to see him II he were in
another profession. These people are
fans and want to know the men who
make baseball possible
Since | have Decn In the game I have
met two Presidents of the United
States. Mr.. Taft is a great fan and
Used To come to the ball games in
W ashington frequently when he was
President. President Wilson is also a
| do not think he takes as keen an
interest In the game or Is an ardent
fan as his predecessor WIS.
resident Wilson invited me to come
season when the Detroit club was play
ing a series In Washington. and he
could not have treated me better II 1
had been visiting prince.
baseball is great game" he re-
marked. Sometimes / wish | had gone
INTO It. There are more worries at
tached to this job I'm holding now"
Yes" said l. but don't think there
aren't any worries going with a job on
n Big League club when you are up
there fighting for a pennant''
You re right" he replied. ITS wor-
ry that makes US ambitious and hustle.
A little judlcious worrying never hurt
any one"
Going Round tho World.
Look at the wonderful opportunity
that the ball players who made the trip
around the world with McGraw and
Comiskey last winter had to add to
their educations. This trip in Itself was
n great educational opportunity because
they saw many countries and people
and they were learning directly from
the book OF life. How many OF these
men who made the jaunt do You sup
pose would have ever g!rdled the globe
II they had not been ball players?
Several men who have been ball play
ers have become wealthy Though their
-AH ~ 80