Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-10-13
Eighteen Straight Games

Old timers love to dwell on the prowess of
Charles Radbourne, who shone with quite as
much brilliance Spadng until consump-
tion cut short his career about 20 years ago.
There were contract jumpers in those days
just as there are now. Radbourne was q
member of the Providence team, and when
Charles Sweeney deserted that club in mid
season only Radbourne was left for slab
work But that didn't bother Radbourne
for he not only jumped right in and did all
the pitching, but he made a new world rec
ord by winning is straight games and the
championship for Providence. This game
ness, however, cost Radbourne his life for
his health broke under the strain, which was
generally credited with having caused his
consumption. .a
From day laborer to the worlds premier
pitcher and then back again to digging
trenches is, in brief, the history of Amos
Rusie, who from 1889 to 1894 thrilled the
baseball world. Rusie had a narrow escape
from being cast into the utter darkness of
oblivion before he could get started. The
first day he entered the big league he was
weighed by Bancroft the manager of the
Cleveland team, and found wanting. After
watching him pitch one game Bancroft sent
him away on the next train out Of town
But John T. Brush, owner of the Cincinnati
Club, had faith in this youngster, gave him
his chance and suddenly the recruit bios
somed forth into the greatest pitcher of
his day.
But prosperity and the applause of the
unthinking crowd were too much for Rusie
Old John Barleycorn attacked him, too, and
soon this man with the unhttable curve ball
dissipated himself down and out. Until the
present year. when the Seattle, Wash, club
found him and gave him a job taking tickets
at their baseball park, Rusie was just a COM
mon day laborer, glad to earn living dig
ging trenches.
1t was drink, too, that ruined Charles
Sweeney, who had his fling during the period
intervening between Radbourne and Rusie.
In 1894 this man jumped from organized
baseball to the outlaws. Then he further
ruined his career by trying to prove that a
man can play winning ball and patronize the
bar. Always uneven contest, drink won,
and Sweeney died because Of his dissipation.
A Veteran Roofing" Now
Then there were Tim Keefe and John
Clarkson, about whose respective merits the
fans are still divided. In 1888 Keefe won 10
straight games for New York. while in 1899
Clarkson pitched 70 games for Boston, win
ming 46 of them These two men, whose ex-
ploits were heralded from one end of the
country to the other, were radically different
In temperament. Clarkson utterly ruined his
health by dissipation and died in an insane
asylum. But Tim Keefe. thrifty soul that he
was, retired with money in the bank, and is
spending his old age in Cambridge, probably
rejoicing this day that Boston has the edge
the Philes.
Probably more printers ink was used to
tell of the exploits OF the eccentric "Rube"
Waddell than any other baseball player that
ever lived Rube was always good for a
story matter what he did On the dia-
mond this man was forever breaking records.
first in jumping from one team to another
and then by making new strike-out records.
Probably his greatest feat was when he
called in all the outfelders and then retired
the side in order. But last year consumption
finished his broken-down constitution.
Cy Young belongs to a different school OF
pitchers He was a shining example of base
ball longevity founded upon clean living.
This marvellous man. who broke into major
league baseball in 1890, pitched every season
for 20 years, record still unequaled