The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1914-05-08
RECRUIT TRIED TO BEAT BOB
OUT OF HIS JOB AT FIRST

men playing baseball today who have
had more varied experience, or who
have greater lore of baseball ance-
dotes at the tip of their tongue, than
has Col. Unglaub, the genial, crafty
leader of the Graingrowers.
Perhaps it is because of the latter
fact that he is so popular with the
members of his team. These young
fellows just breaking into the game,
and almost ripe for the big show, are
hungry for stories of the majors and
are always eager to hear Of the colo
nels experiences in his long service
in the big leagues.
And Bob is always ready to accom-
modate them when the days work is
done. He is veritable vat of base
ball anecdotes and all that is neces-
sary is to turn the tap, and out comes
fresh and decidedly interesting tale
of diamond romance, adventure, trag
edy or mayhaps comedy. And the
colonel is constantly adding to his
store.
One of his latest yarns concerns a
happening during the present spring
training season. There was young
fellow named Pugh, who was recon-
mended to the Fargo-Moorhead man.
agement by one of the officials of the
league. 1t appears that this official
had a close personal friend in Des
Nome an dthe young ball player in
question was a friend Of the Northern
league officials friend.
So on the recommendation of the
league official, Bob consented to give
the youngster tryout.
When the colonel arrived at Mime
apolis, where there were forty-one
candidates for the team that has now
been nicknamed the Graingrowers, he
found a most, unusual situation. AL
most every candidate, except the
pitchers and catchers, appeared with
two gloves. One was the usual big
first baseman's nit and the other was
the usual fielder's glove. Asked what
positions they played the ambitious
candidates almost invariably parried
with the counter question: Where are
you going to play? If Colonel ing.
laub said first, then the candidate
seemed to lose all interest in the big
NIT he carried at once-they all play
cd somewhere else on the infeld OF
outfeld. No one wanted to contest
Bob's job.
Young Pugh from Des MONIES, how
ever, was a first baseman. He frankly
admitted that nobody else had a
chance to play first while he was out
for the job. Unglaub did not say any
thing about the position that he was
TO play. But in the first practice
game between the regulars, or veter-
ans and "Yannigans" Bob placed
himself on the initial bag for the reg
ulars and put young Pugh on first for
the other team.
The youngsters were given one OF
the strongest pitchers, Schmirler, to
even things up.
Usually the boys who are breaking
IN are modest and obey orders with
out murmur. Not so with Mr.. Pugf
however. He Immediately raised q
roar about being placed with the sec.
md team.
care you going to play first on tho
regulars? he demanded of Bob?
''That's my position" answered the
colonel.
"Well, why don't you give me {
chance ?" answered Pugh.
Bob carefully explained that in put
ting Pugh on the second team he was
doing just that-giving him chance
He told him that he was going tt
watch him play, and if he was con
,inced that Pugh was a better frs
baseman than he was, that he woult
certainly give him the bag. "Ther'
are six other positions l can play,
aid the former Boston star, land
yuess l will be able to find place OF
the team
The game started and had not pro
crossed far before it was plain to b
seen that the youngster was "frost
He made a number of foolish moves
but the climax came when there was
nan on first and man on seconc
with the Yannigans in the field.
Schmirler, the left handed pitcher
has a quick deceptive snap towar
first to keep the runner hugging tina
!: Dag. Suddenly he tipped it. to Pug
and the latter, entirely unpreparet
received the ball squarely in the nos'
1t almost bowled him over and as
untangled himself from the knot h
had been knocked into, he yelled q
, Schmirler:
"Hey, don't you know better than
7 try to catch a runner off first with