Evening journal., 1915-01-26
BILLY TURNED down
Bic BASEBALL OFFER
Evangelist Quit Game to
Take Up Religious
Work
BILLY DAY IN
THE OLD DEAL

Pittsburgh handed the Phillies
lemon" when they sold them "Billy"
Sunday. At least that was the con-
sensus of opinion among the two Ma
tional League baseball teams just af-
ter the Phillies had traded two play
ers in the middle of August TO get
BILLY" for their team. only to learn
that at the close of the season he in
tended to give up baseball to enter
into religious work.
The Pittsburgh team was as far
down in the list of "down-and-outers"
as baseball team could possibly be
and still be called a team. The team
owed the landlord rent and it was
rumored that the players were long
ing for bacon and beans besides plain
baseball glory. BILLY" Sunday was
their one redeeming asset They put
Billy up for sale.
The Phillies had never won the Ma
tionai League championship. hut in
1890 they thought they had a chance
and the city was baseball mad The
team had won Is straight games.
The crowds were coming fast. The
team had money. But something hap
pened the team slowed up, and all
its hopes vanished Brooklyn went
ahead of the Phillies in the race, and
Boston pushed them back into third
place. Something had to be done, so
the Phillies bought Billy"
From Pittsburgh came the report
that the Phillies have offered 10 OK
change Burke and Billy Day for Sun
day" Philadelphia newspaper said
on August g. 1890. "It is TO be hoped
that the deal will go through. as Sun
day would greatly strengthen the
home team"
The fans took courage. Two weeks
later the deal went through. The fans
were happy and Sunday was said to
be happy "He has always been anX-
ious to play i'm Philadelphia and is
glad to get away from the Pitts
burgh team the papers said HE
will probably move his family here
i'm the fall and make this city his
home in the future. Sunday will play
his first game with the Phillies today.
Hamilton will now have to hustle to
maintain his reputation as the Phil
lies best base runner
The fans gave Sunday a warm re-
ception, but the next day a gloom
went through the crowd. western
paper had said that "Billy" Sunday
would not play ball the next year be-
cause he had accepted the assistant
secretaryship of the Chicago Young
Mems Christian Association
The fans charged that the Pitts
burgh management had played a
trick on the Philadelphia manage
ment and the Pittsburgh dispatches
added to the Indignation of the local
roOtcrs.
In the first place, ex-President
Nimick. of the Pittsburgh club, said
1T is q fact that Billy Sunday is go.
ing to leave the diamond at the close
Of the season to become the secretary
of the Chicago Y. NJ. c. A. In the
next place. the people Of Philadelphia
understood this and they arc willing
10 trade Pitcher Billy Day and Out
fielder Burke and pay a bonus oi
81 GOO for Sundays release The
Pittsburgh team cannot better itsel
this season. and next season Sunday
will he out of It anyhow. The Phila
0fIDnld DtODlt Hdft ldi Nt-oAnNu Nhohi
pionship bees in their bonnets, ant
they thought It worth while to pay
what they did to have Sunday inisl
out the championship season viii
them"
Secretary Rogers of the Phillies. the
cheered the fans by saying. in an IN
tcrvicw on Aug. 27 1890. that he di
not thank that there was any chanc
that Sunday would give up baseball
because he had contract with th
Phllic- for the rest of the season wit
the option for the Phillics TO renew
for the three successive seasons. Their
was some trouble about closing the Sun
day deal because Burke and Day hel
out for more salary before they woul
sign with Pittsburgh and even wit
the danger that Sunday would give Il
the game the Philics offered to in
crease the bonus they had offered 70
his release to 81 800 in case Day an
Burke would not sign.
II was presumed that if Sunday wa
TO be secretary of the Chicago Y. NJ.
\. his duties would he so arranged q
not 10 conflict with his duties ON Tn
Philadelphia team. and when the. quei
tion of a proposed decrease in salariC
for the players during the following se'
son was brought up it was agreed tina