The Washington herald., 1915-03-21
Nick Altrock, the Leader Of
the Plebes, Spins a Few
Real Stories.
HARD TO MAKE TALK
BY WILLIAM PEET.

| Charlottesville, Va. March s0.-Now
that Germany Schaefer and Tom
Hughes have left our ball club. there
| remains but one veteran able to hand
out the old time stuff which to many
of our readers Is declared to be bet
| ter than much OF the present day dope
| Dyed-in -the-wool fans of ten. tif-
teen or twenty years ago like to be
reminded of their former favorites.
and the writer today grabbed Nick
Altrock by the back of the neck and
| made him talk
Altrock has a fund of information
| tucked away underneath that curly
| thatch-but the trouble has always
been that Nick would rather listen to
others than to talk himself.
Recalling his initial visit to the Ma
tional Capital Altrock said: Il was
with the Louisville club under Fred
Clark when I had my first glimpse of
the United States Capital. 1t has been
so long ago that / won't tell you the
year, but at any rate / was just
green young "busher'' and the club
stopped at the Riggs House. which in
those days was some hotel. believe
me.
The morning we arrived was hot.
Just about as hot as Washington can
get. | was assigned a room and in
order to he comfortable yanked off
my coat and collar and after loung-
ing around for while decided TO
start out and see the sights.
When left the elevator and
breczed into the lobby the first person
met was Manager Fred Clark. He
gave me one look, then drawing me
aside whispered:
threat Scott man. where's your
collar and coat-don't you know that
people don't go around hotel Hobbies.
especially in Washington. looking like
a tramp
Clark I said, and that's wilted.'
"'Well. 80 out ana buy some more
and pat on YOUR coat
| did as Clark told me and I suf-
ferod in silence
At The dinner table the real fun
started. | wondered why the other
players looked at me SO queerly. |
heard remarks like these:
Look at the sword swaIlower'
"'IIc'u cut his throat in 4 minute
Nov ! was just 4 green German
always done at home. using my knife
most of tn" time. that's what the
players We're Laughing at
"Fr"k Clark got me m corner
again after dinner and told me that
folks who patronized good hotels
usually relied on a fork TO help out
and used the knife only to cut meat"
again / told Clark. and while it was
awfulIy hard TO break the old habit. I
managed to do so.
Some folks say continued Ait
roo x. that | am the h0meliCst man in
baseball. ] have heard that ever since
broke into the game and almost be-
Iieved it myself until one day
caught sight of Billy Hogriever. the
old OutfeIder.
1t Was during close game and
n" tried /" @'t ms goat kidding me
about my looks. but / shut him up
all right by saying:
If ION ever turn that fac" Of yours
toward the sky when it rains you'll
drown to death unless you get some
putty and plug up those holes 3"
Nick related an incident which hop
p"m"d while he was in the Old East
cru League playing with the Toronto
club.
At the Toronto ball park in those
days. the park being near the water.
on an island. dozens or young sea
Gull$ kept flying over the battle
ground.
We were having hatting practice
one day" said Nick. ''wnen Calhoun.
our hig first baseman. hit the ball into
right field on 4 limo drive. Just as
put my hands up to catch the hall a
young sea gull few past. The ball hit
the gull and the bird fiuttered at my
feet. II vas as dead as a door nail"
There isn't a harder worker in Camp
Griffith than Nick Altrock who has
boon placed in charge of the second
team or PIcbes as they are called.
Altrock has given whole lot of
his time to coaching the young south
paw pitchers. Bentley and Harper. He
lad them with him in Annapolis for
4 week before reporting here and was
\ bile to give them whole lot of good
advise
Nick declares that both Harper and
Bentley are going to give a fine ac-
count of themselves during the 1915
campaign.
II will be remembered that Altrock
made Roehling the pitcher he is to-
day. Nick's coaching and advise trans
formed the raw busher into something
resembling finished product.
Boehling should he a winner this
season. for his injured knee is en-
tirely well. the operation proving TO
he perfectly successful Joe has the
advantage over Harper and Bentley
in the experience he has gained, and
has also added "knuckle BALI to his
assortment Of benders.
HAVE STRONG LINEUP.