New-York tribune., 1914-11-29
GEORGE STALLINGS

20 be developed The usual run Of
pitcher is pretty raw when he first
comes up 30 the big league. lt took
year Of fusslng 90 get James right
Tie had worlds Of "stuf' when he first
came 20 me from the Seattle club.
from which organization was lucky
enough 20 draw him boa .le draft. but
he needed lot OF polishing He was
only p Kid when first got hold of
him in the spring Of 1913. He Is but
twenty-five years old now.
In an my experience have never
seen q pitcher more anxious 90 make
good than this young siH-foot spccl-
men. ! almost had to take his uniform
away from him 20 stop him pitching al
the close of practice and trying what
Mitchell and | had told him. lie never
wanted to quit working. As soon as !
saw the spirit of this young giant ]
knew that he was bound TO make good
for me. because player with this great
determination and ambition is sure TO
produce.
James is going TO be a wonder some
day" declared Mitchell TO me after
morning practice early in the season Of
1913 Mitchell and James had had a
long session that day, each working
hard
Hes going to be as sensational as
Johnson when he is ripe" ! predicted
/ consider James as valuable pitch
CT as Walter Johnson to-day, and my
statement is backed up by the fact that
be led the National League pitchers
last season, and did some wonder twirl-
ing in the worlds series, when Il young
pitcher would be expected to lose his
80 oh trrta q teo
veteran Eddie Plank. with the hard
hitting Athletics behind Plank, is some
thing that requires nerve and the goods.
James has both these I'm abundance
But once more ] am running ahead Of
my yarn.
The First Real Recognizable Gem.
During the winter Of l9l2-13, before
! ever had charge OF the team in uni
form, | signed Rudolph, and he was the
first real gem that ] added TO the roster
Of the Boston club of whose value
was aware. James ] knew nothing Of
then. because we had caught him iu the
draft. and ] had not seen him. ! knew
Of Rudolph's ability from having seen
him perform with the Toronto team of
the international League the preceding
season. realized then that Rudolph
was sure TO improve. lie had been sent
10 Toronto by John McGraw after a
brief tryOut with the Giants late one
fall, when he was in no condition TO
show his best stuff.
McGraw never cared much for small
twlrlers. although ] have always CON
tended that a smart man can pitch
whether he is tall or short. However,
when McGraw turned Rudolph over 10
his friend. Joe Kelly. the manager Of
the Toronto club, he kept a string on
him. Ile was not 30 be sold 10 any
other big league team except the
Giants. but Rudolph was ambitious
and declared 20 Kelly after the season
Of 1912 that he would quit the game
unless he got a chance in the big
league.
81 can make good" announced Ru-
dolph. IF ! cant get any higher than
a minor league, then ! am going TO try
some other profession" This stand on
his part made a hit with me. l wanted
a man with that ambition in him.
II was case Of losing Rudolph any
way he looked at il. so Kelly put il up
20 McGraw. The Giants manager was
well supplied with pitchers at that
time. ard he agreed 20 let me have
Rudolph. McGraw and | have always
been very good friends, and he was
glad to help me out IN any way he
could in my new job, which. | guess,
he considered TO be pretty hopeless at
best. Thus did Rudolph come TO me IN
that drst wIa.sy. Now l consider him