Omaha daily bee., 1915-05-09
JENNINGS WAS LUCKY FIND
Jumped Into Louisville Lineup with
out ANY Experience and Made
Good Right Off the Bat.
CONSIDERED GREATEST OF ALL


NEW YORK. May s.-Back in the sum-
mer OF 1891. a young chap with carmine-
colored hair and a face sicklied all over
with polka dots, was catching for a base
ball team representing Leighton, Pa,
where he had signed that spring Leigh
ton was, at that time. a beautiful place
Of 1900 Inhabitants. but this young man
was somewhat lost In that community,
for the 5000 residents, sil were Dutch ex-
cept two. an Irish saloonkeeper and his
sister. and Hughie Jennings. having con-
siderable Irish blood coursing through his
system, was welcome addition to this
very small Irish colony.
In the month Of June, a certain base
ball fan, in fact. he was a director OF
one OF the clubs In a small Pennsylvania
state league. sent q tip TO Jack Chap
man Of the Louisville club OF the Ameri-
can association concerning this young
catcher. stating that II he would sign
him. in less than a month he would prove
the equal OF the best player Chapman
had on his lineup. The wise Chapman
must have had faith In this unknown
fan. for he promptly sent 800 TO young
Jennings with orders to report at once.
Hughle thought Il must be a Joke, but
on examining the coin he found It real
money and he made up his mind to go.
To make a jump from a job like the
one he had to q big league berth waa
appalling. and Hughie felt sure he would
be n failure. However. he had the ti0C
In his jeans and he just prayed that they
would give him chance 10 work 1t out
which meant. In those days n two weeks
trial. for Hughie declares that he would
never have set foot on Kentucky soil had
not this money been sent.
II. jennings days as a catcher ended
the moment he donned Louisville uni
form. Chapman didn't Just know what
10 do with this tow-headed busher after
no got him. but he had invested 500 IN
the deal and felt that he must have the
youngster earn II II possible. ana Hughie
was dead willing TO work It out. Oppor-
tunity came tripping his way. for First
1aseman Taylor was injured about that
time and Chapman planked the raw re-
cruit on the initial sack. II was on June
g. 1891. that the now famous manager OF
the Detroit Tigers played his first game
IN the majors and tho contest was against
the Baltimore team. The first big league
hurler who faced Hughie, or whom
4 AhbhAhN Autchs Ndon NCIy bibf a HNuc
bit IA left-hander by the name OF
Madden was the pitcher and Louisville
made only four hits the Leighton recruit
getting one of them.
In the next game Jennings made three
safe hits In four times up off the pitch
ing OF the noted MeMahon and he con
tinued TO bang the ball right merrily
during the balance OF that season. The
name OF Jennings was the headliner In
/ most OF the box-score accounts and his
friends. also the newspaper men. were
worried that his red head would be
turned and he would lose his stride by
an dthrough the showers OF adulation
but Hughio was proof against all thil
and continued to play such ball that this
expert authorities on base ball conceded
that he was the greatest find OF the
period, some writers state the greatest
ever.