The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1914-10-13

tered are sufficient grounds upon
which to explain the remarkable
career which he enjoyed in his
early youth. His history is peculiar
only in that he had come to extraor-
binary fame In his baseball work be-
fore he took up what has proved to
be his life activity.
The discovery Of Billy Sunday on q
back lot in Marshalltown, Iowa, by A.
G.. Arson, popularity known as Gap
tain" Arson, or Pop" Arson, is base
ball tradition. It has been the remark
Of sporting editors that BILLY Sunday
never worked in brush league, but
stepped full fiedged star into the
arena Of the national game when he
became a member of the White Sox
team in 1882" Sunday remained with
the Chicago organization for five
years, and for all that time heading
the batting order he played either
right or center field. From Chicago
at the end Of five years Sunday went
to Pittsburg, and later on to Phila-
delphia.
More than twenty years Of active
work in promulgating the gospel has
not cooled the ardoY Of his enthusiasm
for the national game, nor abated one
lot or title the friendship he feels
for the men who are still keeping it
before the public, or for the older
fellows who have had to get out of
the way of the younger generation.
Baseball. and baseball lingo are a con-
comitant part and attractive feature
Of many of his best known sermons
: A hearty welcome and an opportunity
FOR chat is always afforded those
who come to discuss old times, or the
changes In the game as 1t Is played
today.
A man whose experience would fill
7olumes and whose career is brilliant
With many exceptional achievements
In other lines, the magazines still turn
to him for articles on baseball, and
he is regularly quoted as an authority
on many phases of the subject. Every
where Mr.. Sunday goes in the further
ance of his evangelical campaigns, he
meets with many who recall his White
Sox days and not infrequently these
| form nucleus of the subsequent
| crowds which rally to his support. AS
a unit these men insist that Sunday
was great baseball player. Most
pertinent to quote, however, is his
brother-fn-law, VIM. J. Thompson, who
as a boy travelled with the Chicago
team, and who took more than boys
interest in the courtship between Mr..
Sunday and Miss Thompson, which
was In progress at the time. Mr..
Thompson in recent interview thus
outlined his brother-in-law's baseball
| career:
HE certainly was a punk hitter, but on
the bases he waa by all odds, the fastest
man in the big league. Did you know
| that Billy was the first man in this coun-
| try to run 100 yards in 10 seconds fiat?
| I saw him do 1t. At the time 1t was con-
| sidered a marvellous thing and Billy got
national prominence as a result. Every
| body on the team always worked to get
Billy on the bases because they knew
| that IL he once got to first, he was al
most certain to score.
"As a base stealer Billy didn't have q
| rival just as Ty Cobb is the terror to
| present-day catchers, Billy was the ter
| ror in his day. I've seen him many a
| time start to slide into the bases when
he would be 20 feet way, and nine times
| out Of ten he'd make 1t.
"All the spectators would see would
| be a cloud Of dust Billy was such a
| twfster that 1t was almost impossible for
| baseman to get the ball on him.
| BILLY played in the field and believe
me, he could cover lot of ground too.
| In those days Billy was the same good
| fellow that he is today, only he hadn't
| got religion. He was a favorite with
| everybody on the club, and especially
| with the fans. He was a great kidder,
| too, and no matter what they hurled at
him from the stands, he came right back
| at 'em with a still hotter one. Maybe
! you've noticed he's some talker today"
Mr.. Sundays own version of his
| work and his success in 1t does not
materially differ from that of Mr..
Thompson:
81 never was an extra heavy batter"
he says, but used to strike around 25
| or 300 In the batting percentage. Where
| / excelled was in speed, and always led
| the batting order because was dam
| gerous man to have on bases with heavy
| batters behind me-"
OF Mr.. Sundays agility, there seems
to be no shadow of doubt. Current
| sporting writer's compare him to Ty
| Cobb and others in the Inns light at
the present moment. He Ia given
credit for establishing the mark of
encircling the bases from standing
start in IA seconds, an achievement
calculated to try the wind and limb
Of the most perfect athlete. One base
ball writer says:
HE probably caused more wide throwa
than any other player the game has ever
known. because Of his speciality OF going
down to first like streak of creased
electricity. When he hit the bali, infleld-
ers yelled Hurry II up The result was
that they often threw 'em away. He
was acknowledge champion Splinter of
the National league. This led to q
match race once with Arlie Latham, who
held like honors in the American. Billy
won bv IL fecf-and with Tx 81 Chi.