Evening journal., 1914-05-14
HANK O'DAY WAS
QUITE A HURLER
Cub Manager Made Fine
Record About a Cen
Grafton Ago
WAS DISCIPLE OF
MULLANE AT TOLEDO

Nlll4LfAlNL "A - -
Many times while performing his
duties of umpire. and ever watching
the huriers Of the present day, flash
Ing through curves with splendid
breaks and vicious inshoots that
whistle tune as they speed toward
the plate and batsman. Hank O'Day's
thoughts travel back many years and
revive memories of the days when
he too. was a hustler Of curves and
fast shoots When he, then Young
and IN the full strength Of his ath-
letic manhood. won fame and glory
as hurler. When he as a pitcher
erowled at the umpire, as he IS
rrowled at today
Hank ODay in the heyday of his
vouth made a record which was way
above the ordinary, and he had
several successful seasons in the
~Bic show" But young ODay had
hard shedding when he first reached
ont for fame and cash by and through
The baseball route Those were The
davs when Hank struggled to make a
living by pitching a baseball, with
youth. q strong right arm and a wide
outcnrve with a startling break TO
A as his best assets, he fought his
way 10 the top Of the pitching game
although his foot slipped many
runr I'm his attempts TO reach the
top OF the ladder.
ODay's first engagement OF any
note was with the Council Bluhs clnD
back in 1882 But his first real JOB
was with the Toledo club OF the
Northwestern League, and he made
GOOD his first year out as a proies-
sional. In 1884 the Toledo club got
n franchise I'm the American Asso-
citation. then i'm its infancy as a major
organization. and young Mr. Opay
was swept into the glory circle OF
big leaguedom with a bunch OF goou,
had and mediocre players which cont
nosed the Toledo club; many fell by
the wavside before the season was
old. but Hank stuck and did good
enough work to warrant the manage
ment holding him
with the Toledo team Of that sea-
eon was the famous Tony Mullane'
one of the great lights of the pitching
ramo and foremost hurler OF the
American. Association. Hank ODay
..p-ea n close observer Of Mullano
stvle and methods and he proved an
ant undcrstudy to the great Irony.
Darky Caught His Renders.
Hank should never forget his hrst
tob I'm the 'Big Show" from the fact
that he had for a catcher a gentle
man of color, a lad whose parents
were from darkest Africa, but sailing
nnder the strictly Anglo-SaXon name
~ walker. Mister" Walker was
some catcher and was the mainslay
behind the bat for Toledo.
Those we're the days before the
color line was drawn I'm organized
baseball. but these two sons OF hrin
didn't exactly like the smoke 10,
battery partner, and they hah ths
son OF Ham all dented ana prulseu
by their terrific speed.
And. to add misery to Smohe
walkers woe, Hank was In the hanl.
az pulling off some fearful Wllu
heavee-during that season he mace
thirtv-six, or rather that number go
~ .sWalk"-but at that the biacb
Ewing was some backstop, and many
vsld and crazy heaves sent in by hoif
Mullane and Hank land many times
an cold blood and deliberately TN
colored catcher stopped, and not al
wavs with his hands, but with ms
uhins and head. Those banging MN
IN the topknot glanced off harm
lesslv. hut his shins did suffer.
Toledo was dropped by the Ameri
ran Association in 1885, but O'Dal
was nipped up by the Pittsburgh
cIuh then a member of that organi
rafIon He pitched some ten o.
twelve rames foS them, wit1 varyih'
success and was let out.
Won Penrant for Washington.
HANK created some history by win
ming n remnant for the Washington
club thep in the Eastern League. Ill
won thirteen out of fifteen games TO
tncan which was the means, or rathe
enabled them TO land the nag an
n was through this great piece o
work that team representa-
washington. d. c., really won a pen
nant
IN 1856. before Washington lSne'
meN WOuIu idAu a AAt--
National League, they let O'Day sil
away. and he put in the season VII
the Savannah club of the old South
ern League. His pitching was IN
sensation of that league, and oetor
ne end of the season the National
had their former idol back. Ahou
that time the now famous Comm
Mack made his appearance with IN
washington team as catcher, on
Connie was seldom assigned 10 TN
task of catching the twisters OF MI
ODay.
In 1889. when O'Day wanted to sc
away from Washington and had
great longing to get berth on tn
New York team. about the only clu
Hank would work hard against wa
the giants In a game against ther
one Gay with c. Mack doing his back
stopping. Hank was very anxious Z
make a fine showing, but the length
Connie spoiled all HANKS efectiy
work by making four glaring error
A coldness sprang up between thes
Irish gentlemen after that exhibition
and Hanks opinion Of Connie as
catcher dropped several notches.