Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1914-04-23
THE BALL Player.
He Faces Many Trying ordsals
In His. Early Experience.
MAKING 4 BIG LEAGUE CLUE.
fribulstiens Of . Victorian Star Mhe
Started IN With a "swslIsd tisad"
and Got Fired and Then Worked His
Way Sack Into E sst Company.

In the American Magazine Hugh 3.
Fullerton writes an article entitled
''Ihe Making Of a Big Lacquer" 1t Is
a true story OF the development OF one
Of the greatest ball players In the
United States asTtold by himself to
Mr.. Fullerton. This player, Of course.
began the game 40 a boy and passed
through all the stages from amateur to
minor league teams and then into the
big league. In this early experience he
became a great victim Of the ''swelled,
head" hit the first ball pitched when
be went to bat after being told to wait
for two strikes and finally lost bis posi-.
ton on the big league team. After
many .vicissitudes he lost his ''swelled
head" and got into the big league
again, where today. at thirty-four
years OF age. he is one Of the great
veterans Of the game. Of bis tinaI q
trance into the big league be says:
I'm June ] was purchased for a
large sum by the club which then WINS
the strongest in the country. ! didn't
say a word about money. although the
club paid over $4,000 for me. The new,
manager sat down with me in the
hotel the night joined his team.
"'All ! want he said. is for you to
get out there and hustle and behave
yourself. I've heard you're bard to
handle. but I'll take u chance
"'You won't hive any trouble with.
me- assured mm. All l want 10 1
chance to show that 1 can play
You'll get all. the. chance you want
he said quietly. You're in the lineup
tomorrow.
Stage fright: Did you ever suffer
It? did that night. My nerves were
jumping. and a thousand times I az.
ured out ~piays-ye<. and made them,
in planning what ! would do the next
day.
I'VE were playing a game against a
team which we figured we would have
to beat out to win the cha lnpionship.
I pictured myself hitting home runs
and making triple plays. and when l
awoke in the morning. was nervous a
shaky. uncertain and scared ball play.
er. In practice before the game every.
thing hit my way l either fumbled or
threw wild. as my nerves were rags.
The crowd seemed. to be sorry for me
when they weren't knocking. u was Z
relief when the game started
Twas second at bat: in the lineup.
on a foreign .deld and with a hostile
crowd roaring. The first man died
out. Wait him out. Take two said
the picked up a bat The
first pitched ball cut the heart Of the
plate. I saw It all the way up and
knew it would have been. easy torhit II
hard. yet i let; It CO. Strike one the
umpire yelled. and the crowd howied.
i was cool 'asa Bost6n east, wind. The
second bail came whizzing up straight
over the plate with nothing on it, and
I itched to bit It, yet let 1t 60 for the
second strike.
Then l settled to hit, expecting a
curve ball. The curve went wide. A
fast one went high and wide. Figured
that the pitcher thought he had a suck
er at bat and would curve one over
Hs came with a fast ball a foot high.
and | swung at it and struck out. Ny
heart nearly got spiked as It sank into
my toes going back to the bench.
That's the boy said the manager.
Wait, him out. Make him PITCH
"Igcqt5ds have kissed him for those
words. ] wiAt to short with my nerves
steady and my system full Of conf
dence. The 1rstjball hit was a stzzier
over second. I got the ball with one
hand. and there wasn't a chance to
throw the runner out IL I stopped to
straighten up. 80 ! threw without look.
Ing and without waiting and plunged
forward onto my f1ce. The yell from
the crowd told me- the frsts baseman
had caught It and as I scraped the;
dust out Of my eyes and trotted back
to position I felt at home.
II wasn't, excited nor elated, but the
confidence that had carried me through
the minor leagues came back swithsH
rush and an fear was gone. | was .
big leaguer-and knew 1t. The next
time at bat I crowded the plate, lock.
eyed with the pitcher and watched, He