Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-07-24
FIUNERAN TO PITCH
/ THE SECOND GAME
East Orange Fans Will Honor
Young Pitcher at Brooklyn
Tomorrow.
MANY SEATS RESERVED

1t was announced today that Joe
Finneran will pitch the second game
OF the double-header at Washington
Park, Brooklyn. tomorrow afternoon
between the Brooklyn and Chicago
Federal League clubs. Arrangements
have been completed for the affair
and it is expected that nearly three
hundred fans, friends of the East Or
ange youngster, will attend the con-
Itests. Two hundred seats have al
ready been reserved. and it is more,
than likely that many more fans will
ARRANGE to take part in the ceremony
Finneran will be the recipient of
guiG watch and chain from his,
friends. The presentation will be
made as the second game of the bar
gain bill begins.
Born in East Orange, Joe began his
career on the sandlots of his home
town, being the kind of syoungster
who would rather playsba than eat
It was often said of Joe that he was
one of the first in. the city to grab a
ball In the spring and one of the last
to put 1t away in the fall. Two BROTH
ers of the pitcher. Ben and Chris Fin
neran, were players of repute when
Joe was budding out, and they inn
parted 10 him their knowledge Of the
national pastime. s24s 2isar9e 14l
Joefs semi.professionaI career startg
ed auspiciously In 1909, when he
Joined Bloomfield, of the County
League The following year saw him
wearing the uniform of the Forest
Hill team of the same league About
this time Frank McTague who was
secretary of the Newark team, saw
all the earmarks of a conner in the
youth and he became Joe's we'll
wisher. es1d ttt 1 l79f3f Na
. McTague got Joe a berth on the
Norfolk team of the Virginia Leagues.
He was then nineteen. F'inneran's
professional career began in 1911
Charlie Babb, manager of Norfolk,
soon realized that in Finneran he had
the markings of star, and as re-
suit of the interest theqlatter took in
him, Joe was victorious in twenty
one games, losing twelve. 1t was
principally because of his good work
that Norfolk was runner-up for PEN
nant honors that year. Petersburg
won the flag with a single game lead.
Joe returned to Norfolk in 1912 and
pitched in thirty-two games, and al
though the team was rather poor that
season he won nineteen. of them. His
ability was noted by scout for tho
Philadelphia Nationals in August OF
that year, and with Johnny Dodge, a
third baseman, was sold to the latter
team for $4,000. Joe played the re-,
mainder Of the season with Philadel-'
phia, capturing three out of five
games. 3lta pas e
In the spring of 1918 Joe was sent
to Scranton. in the New York State
League, for the reason that Philade1-
piia was stocked with seasoned and
more experienced twirlers. He was
recalled a month later, however, and
sent to Lowell, in the New England
League, for an option on Catcher
DAILY, now with the White Sox. When
with Lowell Joe won fourteen games
and. lost-two, finishing with the high
est average yet attained by a pitcher
in that league. Joe's team won the
pennant, and due mainly, to his REF
markable, form also captured a series
with Hartford, the pennant- winner
the Eastern Association. FinnerarI
won three of the four games he
twirled Again Joe was recalled by
Philadelphia ebut during the winter
was sold to Birmingham, of the
Southern Association. He SHE'D at
the deal, however, and tried vainly,
to have Manager Doom send him to
some other club. Joe was convinced
that the climate or the ooutnlanu
interferedf with his health, and OPP
posed the attempts of Philadelphia
to have him go there = - 3
1t was about this time that the
Federal League came into being, and
Manager Otto Knabe, of the Balti5
more Terrapins, being an admirer OF
the pitcher, offered him fattering
contract. Joe accepted the terms
That Joe was not used often during
his stay with Baltimore was due
principally. to the fact that the team
had four pitchers who were going in
firstaciasss form and Knabey did not
want to upset the plan that he had
started with to have, four pitchers
working in turn About that time
Brooklyn needed pitchers badly
Manager Bradley asked that Fin
neran be sent to him. His request
was complied with. Ell vi si