El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-02-28
Few Leaders Relish Task
of Wedding Out Recruits
Hardly Conceded Chance When the Training Season
Opens, Many Rockies Turn Out Strong Players;
Others Strongly Touted in Advance
Are Hurled Back to Minors
BY BILLY EVANS.

, Up and down the line as IS his custom to
worry the pitcher Evidently manager Cal
lahan had warned Russell about allowing
Cobb to get too big a lead To all appear
ance Russell started his delivery, but instead
he snapped the ball to first and caught Cobb
mapping so Tar that Tyrus made dash for
second, knowing it would be foolish to try
to get back to first 1t was a raw balk
If there ever was one. As he threw the ball
to first left my position back OF the bat
ters box, to inform Russell in a quiet way
that he had made a balk. that the sooner he
cut out his peculiar move the better, and
also intended granting Cobb second, for
felt sure he would be caught In some Tvav
Tyrus managed to avoid being touched. and
reached the bag in safety. Quickly getting
TO his feet he yelled:
What do you cali that movement. Billy?''
what would you call it2" 1 asked.
A balk if I ever saw one" respond
Big Pitcher Improved Rapidly.
Wen that is just what it was" an
sWered, but since you could move no
farther than second on balk no harm is
Walking down to the pitchers box.
asked Russell where he had gathered to-
a crude balk that it didn't seem as if a blind
man could have allowed MIN to get away
with it. Russell smiled at me and replied:
That move is my own invention. I used
1t Tor two years down in southeastern Texas
and not an umpire said a WORD to me I
thought it would be just the thing to fool
the boys up here"
well, if I were you, Russell. I would
never apply Tor patent on that invention.
1 would stick it in a grip and express it
back to some of the boys in Texas"
1T doesn't look good to yOu?" said Rus
sell.
TT looks all right" ( answered. but YOU
are going to have all the unpires in the
league hoarse from calling balks If you per
sisit in using it
This big league stuff is all new to me- /
frankly replied RUSSELL f'nOw if YOU umuires !
viii Just tolerate me for about three weeks (
and be as blind to some of the things I ID /
as the boys down in Texas, TT be a very
easy man to handle"
Star Players Are Much Desired /
NO umpire could but respect a fellow WIN /
talked IN that style. Many trivial fault of I
the big fellow was. overlooked. Inside of a
month Russell had proved true to his word s
he had learned movement to first that /
was absolutely correct, yet was good enough /
to mold the runner fairly close At fielding
ounuS he was mighty proficient. Other de-
talls OF the liner points of pitching he /
picked up with remarkable rapidity from the
veteran members of the Chicago stair IT,
day Russell is an ideal pitcher for an nm
pire to work behind
Russell is an example OF what q bip
league manager is up against in the -sDriT'rS'
Not conceded chance to stick when he re-
ported Tor the training trip, he was the sen
sation Of the league from the standnoinf ~
the recruits What loss it would bave
been to the Chicago club if he had bea1 ~
loved TO get away and came throupI1 for
some other club in the manner he 5id To-
ne Whlte oL-(COpyTight 1914. bv " q
Evans ~ W. y.