Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-01-18
DEBUT OFTEN
SHAPES CAREER OF RECRUIT
Poor Start Is Handicap That Spells Many Promising
Youngster-Lou Crger Cites Case of
Former Boston Star
By Leo

figure where he had much of a chance to
get on with the Athletics. Walking over
to one of the other veteran players whom
he had met he remarked:
so that fellow is Baker. Mr.. Mack
don't need any third baseman, but needs
pitchers if the other teams can hit the
ball like you fellows. I'm going back
home and send our pitcher on for trial;
he would have a much better chance
to make good than me. That evening
| the younsster departed without word.
He has not been heard from since, or has
the pitcher he spoke about. Probably
after the third sacker had told him how
the boys hit them in the big show he de-
cfded to stick to the once-a-week game.
Here was q player who never waited for
his debut. but was scared out before the
curtain went up.
A good many of the recruit catchers.
infielders and outgielders who come up
to the majors for a trial can field up to
the standard, but are shy on hitting
strength. They soon discover that one Of
the big differences between the majors
and the minors is in the pitching depart
ment. Every youngster I have ever
talked to always comments on the diff
ference in the pitching. This being SO, it
is very natural that on this feature of
the game the average recruit lacks con-
tidence. Starting a youngster in game
with men like johnson. Bender. Mathew
son and other stars doing the pitching
simply makes the going all the rouSher
for the recruit. l can recall dozen
instances where a game having been
practically lost a manager would rush
In three or four recruits. and always with
disastrous results. That the recruit is
conscious of the greatness of some Of
the big league stars is certainty.
Youngster Had Wide Experience.
A few years ago very promising
young infielder was picked up by one
of the big league teams He was kept
on the bench the greater part of the
year, being allowed to finish a game every
now and then. About the middle of the
year one of the infielders was injured and
his chance to show arrived. The club was
playing in Washington at the time. and
johnson pitched the game in which he
| made his debut. The game was very
close affair Washington finally putting
over the deciding tally in the ninth
inning Naturally Johnson was forced
to go at top speed. SO that the youngster
saw him at his very best. Three strike
outs and pop fly was his record at the
plate. The next day the team played at
Philadelphia. and during Il foursame
series there he faced Bender, Plank, Nor
gan and Coombs. Four rather goSd pitch
ers to break in against. Not hit did the
recruit make during the four games.
Arriving at New York. the regular in
fielder had recovered sufficiently to re-
sumo play. OF course in this game. New
York, out of the race, was trying out a
recruit twirler, against whom the other
recruit might have had chance. Imagine
a tougher bit of luck than to draw such
pitchers as Johnson, Bender, Plank and
Coombs after holding down the bench
all year. The youngster was made of the
proper stuff. however, and today is a big
Lacquer. There is no denying the fact,
however, that three or four hits is a bet
ter tonic to a recruit than the same num-
Der of strike-outs
Copyright 1914, by W. Il Evans!