Evening star., 1914-04-19

llOn was not 1nuCn Deller lIldn Il 1ll1lOI
league club. The recruit pitcher came
through in nice style, and beat the Browns
with ease. His next appearance was against
a second division club, and he scored shut
out. In both games his club hit the ball, so
that he was never pressed very hard, and
| he had just about decided that pitching in
| the big league was a far softer proposition
| than twirling in the minors.
1t seems that he had signed a contract
| calling for three hundred dollars month,
and that the manager of the team had as
sured him that if he made good he would be
| rendered a contract for the next year at an
increased stipend. The two decisive vic
tories were too much prosperity for the
recruit. BY accident the manager over
heard a bit of conversation between him and
another youngster, after he had won his
second game, and have heard this manager
laughingly tell about it many times since.
Before the game the manager had left an
important package in the clubhouse for safe
keeping. He rushed off at the conclusion of
the game and was halfway home before he
remembered the package. fastening back
to the ball park, he walked in just as the
two recruits, who were in a different part of
the clubhouse, were discussing affairs in
loud tones.
| Praise for his work in the game he had just
pitched, offered by the recruit infielder,
| brought the following response:
I'm to get more money if | make good
If win a couple more battles, I'll complain
of illness, and get away without pitching any
more games. With four wins to my credit,
I'll hold them up for pretty good figure
next year"
| After getting his package the manager
made his exit without having been noticed
| The manager had intended to pick a couple
more soft teams for the youngster; but the
conversation he had overheard made him
decide that the chestiness of the newcomer
would have to be lessened or he would
want Walter Johnson contract. For ten
days the youngster did not get another
chance to start game; although twice he
was sent in to pitch the last few innings of
contests that had been hopelessly lost. FL
nally the hitting Athletics drifted into
town. The recruit was given quite jolt
when he was selected to pitch the opening
game against this great club.
1t happened that the Athletics were in a
batting mood that day, and they would
probably have hit the offerings of any pitcher
Just as hard as they hit those of the recruit.
At the end of the sixth inning they had piled
up six runs, and the manager decided that
was about enough and shipped the young
man to the clubhouse. The next club he
faced was Detroit, always noted for its abll
ity to slug the ball, and the Tigers treated
him just about as unkindly as the Athletics
had.
The wallopings he received from the Ath-
letics and Detroit made him forget all about
the illness he had intended developing. In
stead he yearned for few more chances to
wipe out those two defeats. When the
season closed the recruits record was two
victories and five defeats. However, in the
last three games he gave fine exhibitions OF
twirling, but luck was against him.
| When the youngster departed for his home
at the close of the season he had no thought of
holding up the club for fancy salary. His
only concern was whether he would be asked
to go South in the spring. The manager knew
that he had lot of ability and was bound
to deliver and incidentally knew that the
trouncing given him by the Athletics and
Tigers had done him a world of good.
The contract sent to the youngster called
for an advance of three hundred dollars over
the contract of the year before. The recruit
who reported in the spring had lost all his
swell-headedness. He had become an ath-
lete fired with ambition and the desire to
make good. He appreciated the raise of
three hundred dollars, after having been
able to win but two out of seven games, and
realized that there was difference between
the bushes and the big league. Before the
| close of the season he had deVelODed into one