The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1915-01-21
DONOVAN USED
COFFIN AS DESK
Wild Bill Signed First Contract
In UndeTtakar'S.
SALARY WAS $50 A MONTH.
His Ability Soon Got Him Better Job
With the Washington Team, Then In
National Lesgue-His Gameness Was
Shown In Seventeen Inning Tie Game
With Philadelphia In 1907.

National Lessue-His Gameness Was
Shown In Seventeen Inning Tie Game
With Philadelphia In 1907
Wild Bill Donovan, the new manager
OF the New York Americans, began his
baseball career pitching for an anna
teur nine in Philadelphia known as the
Park Sp1rroWs. His fame spread
little. and he was offered job TO pitch
for team at Sunbury. Pa, at $50
month. That salary looked good to
William twenty years or so ago, and |
he hurried TO Sunbury, arriving there |
late on dark night Bill found the |
manager Of the club, introduced him
self and offered to sign 4 contract right
away. Bin and the manager went into
the nearest place that was convenient. ]
The manager pulled out a contract
aud a fountain pen. Bill found place
To- put the contract on while he signed
IT, In his excitement he hadn't no
ticed what kind of a place he was in
or what ne leaned on when he signed
the document Afterward he discov-
cred that the place was an undertake
er's shop and that he had put his name
10 a contract while leaning on coffin.
That was enough to make any fellow
SILVER. 1T never faxed Donovan, how.
ever. who went right out and pitched
such good ball for Sunbury that soon
ne was signed by Earl Wagner to pitch
for the Washington team, which was
then in the National league. 4 few
uf clio ?,
Washington Earl Wagner discovered
that Bill was pitching again for the
Park Sparrows during a suowstorm.
Wagner made Bill cut out this early
exercise. After that he became one of
The greatest pitchers in the country.
While with Detroit helping the III
gers TO win pennants Donovan locked
horns on many occasions with the
Athletics. There was no love lost be.
tween wild Bill" and the White Ele-
plants. All that Donovan had to do
was TO toss his glove on the field and
the feud was renewed. Frequently Bill
got so cutting in his remarks that the
umpires put him of the coaching lines
The greatest game that Bill Dono
van ever pitched was late in the sea
son Of 1907. The race was close be
tween the Athletics and Detroits. tn,
latter coming with an awful rush a
the finish. On the last Monday of tn
season the Tigers We're to have mad
their final appearance in Philadelphi;
in Il double header The Athletic
started out as if for Il slaughter. The,
hammered Donovan all over the fell
for 81 Inn II
10 pitch underhand. and the sluggin,
stopped. When the Athletics stoppe,
hitting the ball the Tigers started
One pitcher went to the bench, bu
Donovan pitched on. WaddeI wa
called upon, ana Il home run by Cob
tied the score in the ninth inning.
Then Eddie Plank went to the res
cue. For eight more innings Donova
held the Athletics in check. In tn
eleventh inning both teams scored.
Inning after inning the thrilling pla
went on. Harry Davis came near wiz
ming the game, upon which a pennan
appeared to rest, by a long drive t
the left of center field. Sam Crawford
who was playing center field, starte
after the ball, which went into tn
crowd
Manager Jennings claimed that a pC
hceman interfered with Crawfor,
There was an awful mixup betwee
the teams and Umpires OIoughli
and Connolly. Something was harper
ing in every section of the field Owe
ut first base Donovan and Monte eros
We're being held apart by their team
mates.
Finally O'Loughlin sided with D.
troit. The game went on, and it wa
called at the end of the seventeen
inning, with the score tie. That d
ciSion ana Wild Bill Donovan's gam
ness in pitching seventeen innings af
or very bad start turned the chan
pionShip to Detreit.
1t was Wild Bits greatest game an
probably the greatest ever played
the annals of the national pastime.
Gambling on Ball Games.