Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-01-18
BY BILLY EVANS.

! Getting a good start means great
deal to the average big league recruit.
/ A favorable debut. a rule, gives the
young player the very thing he needs
most-confidence. A poor getaway often
| robs the youngster of his nerve tempo
| rarity and gives him setback that takes
considerable time to overcome. Often it
spells his finish as a big Lacquer
| Picking the proper spot in which to
start a recruit is where a manager can
display much wisdom. Much of the sue
cess of the youngsters developed by Mack
| is due to his clever handling of his
| charges. He seldom allows a young
pitcher to get a severe drubbing by keep
| ing him in the box too long. With n
star pitcher opposing the Athletics he
invariably sends in some veteran as pinch
hitter, rather than youngster who pos
| sibly may have more ability at the bat.
| Against pitcher not SO well known, who
| has not the fame and name to overawe,
| the youngster would be his selection.
Just to illustrate what effect bad start
has on the average player I repeat a lit
| tie story ! heard Lou Criger, the once
famous Boston catcher relate last sum-
mer:
| Il don't believe anything tougher can
| happen to a youngster tnan to break in
fagainst a star or couple OF star pitch
ers,'' said Criger. Il shall never forget
as long as ! live the debut of Candy La
Chance, who later developed into qr lite
a ball player and a pretty good hitter. l
don't believe 1 ever felt SO bad for a
fellow, yet through 1t all 1 enjoyed many
a laugh
Made His Debut Against Rusie.
when La Chance broke into the Ma
tional League the first pitcher he faced
1 was Amos Rusie, who at that time was
at the height of his career. Three times
he faced the great Rusie and each time
he went down on strikes l don't believe
| he even made SO much as foul. The
next afternoon New York pitched Meekn,
| who, in many ways, as great pitch
err as Rusie. La Chance happened to
get Meelsin on one of his very best days,
and on his three appearances at the
plate he registered three more strike
two fouls off Meekins delivery, but
they didn't cheer him up very much.
| Thus in two games he had struck out a
| half dozen times, or every time he STEP
ped to the plate. Not d very encouraging
start to a young fellow who came to the
|
The debut of La Chance was a big
surprise to the players. Heralded as a
mighty good hitter, he had done nothing
1 but strike out. All the players felt sorry
for him. yet couldn't refrain from carry
| ing what was also a joke to them bit
| further. After the second game La
| Chance asked a couple of the fellows II
all the pitchers We're as good as Rusie
and Meekin He received the cheerful
information that they were all just about
| the same. These players told the others
| what La Chance had asked them and
| to keep up the joke they all agreed to tell
| him the same thing. II so happened
| that La Chance held a conference with
every fellow on the club about the other
pitchers as compared to Rusie and Meek
in. OF course. he received the same re-
! ply from all of them.
Was Ready to Quit the Game.
pack his grip and quit the club. We
| all knew that La Chance had the MAX
ings Of a good player, that he simply got
away to a bad start. 1t took the COM
bined efforts, however, of a half dozen
Of the players to persuade him to remain
and give the league further trial. He
finally agreed to look over a few more
| of the pitchers. The next day he got an
| easy one and gathered in couple of hits.
Being made of the proper stuff he over
| came the bad start and developed into a
| corking good ball player. Any time ne
| faced Rusie or Meekin after that 1t al
| ways brought memories of those SIX
strike-outs ..
! TT is customary with Connie Mack TO
give all ambitious young players a chance.
Shibe Park is a mecca for them any
morning during the summer when the
Athletics are at home. Mack is Senefaiis
on hand looking over the material that IS
working out If a youngster looks good
to him he usually places him with some
| minor league il he cares to play pro-
REASONABLY but always keeps a string on
| him. Last year a friend of Mack's III
some small Pennsylvania town wrote MN
! about a third baseman who could MT
them farther than Baker. He was re-
| quested to send the phenon on Tor a
trial, which he did. 1t SO happened that
| Baker was taking little morning batting
| practice Getting a couple to his liking
he drove them over the right field wall.
The younsster observing the two sWats
asked one of the other ROCKIES the name
of the mighty slugger- ....,
| why, that fellow is Frank Baker, the
| third baseman of the Athletics. He hlts
| one over that way just about any time
he feels like it replied the other recruit,
| who had mighty good opinion OF Baker.
| Bakers Hitting Scared Recruit.
The down country recruit was given a
severe setback when he learned the name
of the saighty swatter was Frank Baker.
! He was a third baseman, but he couidn |