The Washington herald., 1914-03-02
Giants Star Tells How He Felt
at His First Training Camp.
Enjoyed Experience.
VETERANS ALL GONE
by Christy 'Mathe,vs0n
(Of the Giants)

in baseball seems to be inevitable
A move is now planned by the
Federal League that, if its leaders
can put it over, will result in a real
war, with both players and salaries
jumping beyond anything that ha:
happened in this line to date. Per
sonally, am not anxious to see
| this, because it would take the
game too long TO settle back to its
normal position after the false i'm,
petus that such a situation would
give it.
} am informed that this proposed move
viii be the big play of the new league s
hackers j am not at liberty to say what
IL Is for two reasons. One Is that the
information has been furnished to me In
confidence. and the other Is that. II
Tip the public Off now and the Feds
are not successful with their stunt, II
ould do baseball a lot of harm for the
| fans to know about II. and baseball has
no better friend than i. II has been n
good friend to me. But take my word
for IL that there may be big surprise in
store for the followers Of the game. And
] predict a bitter war II the move goes
through II Is going to be a wonderful
season for all forms Of sport this sum-
mer. and the interest in the. worlds
series next fall will be the greatest in
the history of the game.
Squads I'm south.
The first squads of many OF the big
league clubs are already in their spring
training camps. and l will be in Marlin
myself very soon. To me this is the
toughest time of the year for two rea-
sons. One is that the older ] grow. the
more I hate the old grind OF training,
and the other Is that a veteran of the
game realizes from the missing faces
how many Of the old stars are fading
after fights to hold ON. There Is hardly
a player who will give up willingly and
admit that he is through.
recall the first time I was ordered
to go South with the Giants. Joined
th. team i'm 81 in the middle of the
ing the season. finishing a few games
and letting IL go at that. Therefore, I
was full Of enthusiasm when / was in
s,ructed to report for spring practice in
1901, and I'll confess I was worried for
several weeks before I received the letter
fer fear they had forgotten I belonged
To the club. As the time drew near for
SIflnE anu Sd" lne
papers about the recruits OF various
teams starting South. without any let
ter coming to me, took to meeting the
postman on the front porch and was
seriously considering trip to New York
tC find out what the matter was. Finally.
the letter came. and as l packed up
had visions of Pullman cars and fine
meals and Southern sunshine and a life
OF ease.
En,busioSr, carrIad ma auay u,b.n 4
arrived. and. like most youngsters,
worked SO hard for the first few days
that I nearly put my arm to the bad
for several weeks or for good. The
trainer just tagged me in time He saw
me throwing a curve on the second day
after my arrival
Here" he barked "Cut that II
Davis catches you doing that he is liza
BILE to send you back home George
Davis was the manager of the Giants at
that time.
Enjoy Experience.
My dreams of ease were somewhat
shattered the first spring, but I enjoyed
the experience. as II was novel, and I
worked hard. I must work harder now.
because it is more difficult to get the
''old soup bone'' in condition at my pres
ent age. And there is no novelty to life
in a spring camp for me, except for the
food. which is always novel. As soon
as the team takes to the road for its
exhibition trip north ] begin to feel bet
ter about II, as the games supply new
problems and furnish interest Then
there is alays the chance of a railroad
wreck or something. which adds to the
excitement. Accidents that would upset
the ordinary traveller greatly do not jar
a players nerves much. yet a big Lacquer
will worry all day over little things, such
as the failure to find a piece of his
baggage or missing his breakfast.
Some of the old boys won't be coming
South again this year, either. 1t was last
spring that Arthur Devlin missed his first
trip TO the Giants camp since he Joined
the club, and we found that his absence
made a big cavity. This spring he won't
go South with any big league club. and
one Of the grandest third basemen there
ever was is done.
All Vets Conc.
Jimmy" Sheckard won't be going
South this year. nor will John Killing.
Honus Wagner is still sticking along like
Tennyson's brook, and Dreyfuss has
taken care of him by making provision
for him to remain with the Pittsburgh
club as long as he wants to. When
look back. I realize that I have seen the
entire New York club change. There Is
not one man with the team now who was
with 1t when / Joined. -Bowerman. Nc
Gam. Gilbert, Dahlen and the rest have
all passed out of the big league as players |
for good.
In the early days of my baseball life. |
there was generally plenty doing on a ]
spring training trip TO keep things !
lustling. Bowerman was one OF The |
busiest players / ever saw, and sometimes |
1 was hard to tell whether he was work |
ng at being a fighter or n ball player. He |
mad many a battle with the old Gian.s, ]
especially in the spring. hen he took it |
,n his shoulders to hid the recruits IN
heir places.
This, article. as I prepare To go to Mar |
in, may sound foolish and blue. but
somehow l hate 10 face the spring train !
ng, although feel better aftcc the win
er in California than / have in ysars /
when going to the spring iIai..in-. Eow-
sver, I know that one OF thcse days l
won't be starting South, and I nate to
hink OF l.. I like the game.
Copyright, lgi. by the Wheeler SyuliCltc. Incl
Eddie Ford will manage the North Sal<i-
ma club. OF the Western Tri-State
League this year. He has signed con-
tract calling FOR his service from Febru- ,
ary to October. and already has signed
several promising youngsters for his
,lub
The Binghamton club. champions OF
he New York State League, have pur-
,iiased Catcher Mike Konnicli. from Van
,ouver. OF the Northwestern League.
Fans q Binghamton are joyous over his
NNfaTfef efEWN TNfN tNa.I