Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-01-11
BIG BILL JAMES ALMOST
BROKE PITCHING RECORD
After Winning Nine Straight, Met
With Defeat In Tbirteen.Inning
Contest at Pittsburgh.
PRODUCT or CALIFORNIA
Family Was Opposed to His Play
ing Baseball; Had Another Career
Mapped Out for Him-Started
With Hammonton Team.

The February Issue OF the Baseball
Magazine has a great story on Pitcher
James:
Bill James. though at tho age whom
most players arc lucky to be fairly
started. proved himself las, year ono
Of the diamonds great natural pitchers.
With a superb build for twirler, i'm
mense speed. great strength and en-
durance. he blazed his way to the front
on sheer natural ability. with the
further acquisition OF experience he
should be ono of the greatest all-round
pitchers OF history. Some day he may
yet break the pitching record which he
cano 30 near shattering In tho season
just past
The batting OF Hank Gowdy was the
feature Of the series. Tho pitching of
Rudolph was Its most consistent per
romance But tho one game contrib
uted by long Bill James was tho most
perfect piece of twirling skill seen in Il
worlds series in many a day.
Just Completed Great Season.
James needed no grand worlds Sc
les scnd-ofr to bring his name before
the public eye, for he had just COM
pleted one Of the best seasons "a pitcher
ever had. But there Is no discount
Ing the fact that his wonderful feat I'm
holding tho rcdoubtable Athletics to
Two lean hits In nine innings would
nave been counted an unheard of
prodigy but one short year ago.
James did not pitch 80 often as Ru-
doiph In the series. solely because he
was younger man, with limited ex-
perience to matsh the craft OF Stall
ings's shrewd veteran. When Il came
10 a comparison Of natural gifts there
Is no comparison. Rudolph pitches with
ms head his craft. his control. James
10 a pitches of prodigal gifts who can
burn them over tho plate with sheer
speed. Give him the experience of his
great teammate and at tho same age
nc should lead the National League.
Born In California.
william james was horn In Iowa
iitll, California. All his life, save that
spent in baseball hns been passed In
CanIornia. In winter he resides most
or tho tifno at Orovlllo Hill. part Of tho
Juno In San Francisco. He is a great
hunter and fisherman. a genuine lover
or the open air. A typical athlete he
is born pitcher 30 far as build IS
concerned. and from what he has nj :.
ready accomplished in that limo there
is no doubt that his vocation has bcen
we'll chosen.
His hrst play for money wa, with
the Hammonton team, managed by
Emmett Schoheld, who used TO be =
member OF the Seattle club. Through
the advice OF his manager. James signed
with Seattle while still In his teens.
though tho influence Of his family pre-
vented him from reporting till n wear
after. They were set aRainst baseball
as they had quite different career
In view for him. And for n year their
influence was strong enough to over
come the lure Of tho diamond In the
end, however. baseball triumphed, and
James went to Seattle
Won Is Straight Games.
This was In 1912. and he had n grand
record on his first appearance. Among
other notable achievements he won els.
teen straight games. He had remark
able speed, but. as he himself adnits
but little else
Nineteen hundred and fourteen found
him In fine shape. q rcjuvenatcd team
behind him, the best OF management.
and the rest is history. How James
burned through the circuit with his
Two great teammates. Rudolph and
Tyler. has been written In indclible
characters In the annals OF the season
just passed. But great as was his
record there was one feature OF 1t that
couldn't help but prove disappointing
TO the great pitcher.
Unfortunate Break In Luck.
James had won nine straight games
when he struck unexpected Imposition
at Pittsbursh. He pitched grandly, the
game going into extra innings. but i'm
the thirteenth round the victory ebbed
against him, tho final count being to 2.
Certainly there is nothing discredita bic
IN losing such game as that But
inc unfortunate part Of 1t from James 3
standpoint was that after this uneS-
pected and undeserved rebuff he went
right on winning. never stopping until
ne mad annexed eleven more victories.
what does this mean? asks the unen-
ishtened reader. Merely this, that
James was robbed. by the most UNI
toward and unfortunate Of circum-
stances, from breaking the worlds
record for victories won Twenty-onc
straight victories might and should
nave been the count. TO have such 8,
record married in the middle by an
undeserved defeat OF to 2 is a bit of
hard luck that might discourage any
pitcher.