Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-09-28
THE BLACK BOOK
Good Luck Attends the Plungng of "The Duke" Whose
Horses, Fortunately, Run True
to Form
By CHARLES E. VAN LOAN
The Worlds Greatest Writer Of Baseball Fiction.

, you'll lay off the ponies. They never
did ball player any good. You forget
EN- We've got a ball game on our
hands this afternoon"
You needn't trouble your head about
me said the Duke savagely Get out
there and make hit, and get me "A run
or Two, and there won't be anything to
II. Trouble with you stiffs is that you
expect a pitcher to do all the work I'll
take care of my end of it; you take care
OF yours"
We'll, don't get sore about it," said
Orendorff. 1T wasn't my fault YOU
pulled boot on them boolxmakers."
That night Orenorfr and Bush Haw-
ley left the park together THE Duke"
said Dutch. "is going to get himself in
very German If he don't look out"
AS how" inquired Bush. He won
good game today"
oh. yes" said Urendorff, 'he won.
all right. But this horse-racing game
Is putting him all to the bad He thinks
100 much about It, It's gettln' on his
nerves. / started to give him little
5000 ADVICE today and he jumped all
Was he askin' you for advice?" que
ried Bush innocently.
WeI-l-l, no, not exactly what Won
might call askin' for It," said Orendorff;
put he left me an opening as big as
n hOubts
And you horned in. Dutch. Won hat
Yer leave the Duke alone. He's q, and
likely he thinks he's able to run his
own business" 1
know that" said Orendorff, stub
Dorniy; "bIt all the same I'm tellin' YOU
that a man can't keep on pitching good
Dhseoall II he's got something else on
ms mind all the time. I'm an old Teller,
nush' ana I've been in the big league
TtNga
ana I've seen a lot OF 'em go, and it's
peen my experience that when a ball
payer begins TO give too much atten-
uon TO things outside the Rame-booze,
women or gambling-he won't last long.
Now, look at the Duke. Ever since
be got that form-chart bug he ducks out
nght after dinner. grabs the overnight
ehtries, and then sits doE n with that
Dlack book to dope out the winners 1t
Just happened that he was lucky, and
picked few right off the reel. Been
better for him II he'd lost. Sometimes
when we're on the road I've seen a light
In his room after midnight. tell you,
BUSH, no man can keep up that sort OF
thing and pitch baseball It's a game
that takes the best you've got, and when
that best is gone-you to the minors.
You can't get by on what you had last
season. The Duke is one grand pitcher;
NOBODY knows 1t better than me; but his
heart amt In the game like IL was last
year. It's out there at that racetrack-
that's where 1t is"'
Shake up your pillow. Dutch!" ad-
vised Bush. You'll sleep better What's
eating you; anyway? The Duke is a win
Orendorff spat in great disgust.
Whats the use of arguing with a
bonehead like your" he demanded. "That
amt the point at all. 1t amt a ques-
tion Of money; it's the effect this thing
is havin' on his nerves Why. he might
better be a bottle drunkard-a souseI
You amt got Solomon sewed up in a
sack for wisdom, Bush, but you surely
know that a pitcher amt any better
than his nerves at any stage OF the
game. When they go. your pitchers all
through. He's a back number. WInnerI
What's a few bucks to a man against his
reputation and his job? BY goIiy,
wish Monk would wake up and hon the
Duke about this racetrack thingl''
Hop him when he's winning his games
Ilght alongY cried Bush incredulously.
Dutch, you're crazy-crazy as a cootl'
Maybe so" replied Orendorff calmly
Maybe so, Bush. old son: but remember
I've seen 'em come, and I've seen 'em 10,
and i tell you now, as sure as there's a
National Commish above us, the day will
come when you'll say: Dutch. you knew
You called the turni'"
"Great' exclaimed Bush, clappinx his
hands "lmmensel Dutch. you've missed
your calling. You should have been a lee
turer. Here's Feeny's place. One little
drink wouldn't do any harm. Before we
eat. eh?"
NOW you're talking sense" said oren-
dorff
The season went its way, with its vic
tories and Its defeats, and the Duke con-
tinued to explore the black book IN an
earnest endeavor TO put the poolroom
owners In the bread line Fortune being
on his side, by the end OF July he was
more than $4,000 ahead OF the game and
there We're times when he bitterly re-
gretted that his professional duties nre-
vented him from becoming another Pitts
burgh Phil.