New Britain herald., 1915-05-31
JpOrfOgraphy
 BY "GRAVY."
Trade Was Most
 Onc-sided Baseball Deal.
BY "GRAVY.' '

OHC-SIueu ISaSCDaIl DCaI.
 This is the forty-fourth anniver- sary of the birth of Amos Rusie. a name recognized by the older fans as that of one of the greatest slab ar- lists in baseball history. Rusie was born May 31, 1871, in Indianapolis, and spent the greater part of his il- lustrious diamond career in the uni- form of the New York Giants To the rising crop of fans Rusie is only name, like Napoleon or Washing \ ton. but the old hero is linked with the present by reason of the fact that he figured in the deal which added Christy Mathewson to the pitching staff of the New York club. It is almost impossible to think of Christy as other than a New Yorker, but, as a matter of fact, he had a narrow escape from being denizen of Red land. '-
 Away back in 1901 a young twirl- CT who answered to the name of Christopher Mathewson was drafted from the Virginia Satte League by Cincinnati. At that time Amos Rusie was still pitching for the New Yorks, but he was falling star. The Gotham pilot realized that Rusies good arm was failing, and when the Reds of- fered to swap Young Mathewson for the veteran New York snapped at the chance. The trade was completed be- fore the 1901 season opened and Mathewson thus made his major lehgue debut in the New York uni form. A year or two passed before Mathewson showed the stuff he was made of, but it is scarcely necessary to assure the reader that in time he developed into a very fair pitcher. In fact one might say an excellent pitcher without unduly stretching the truth.
 That deal must rank as the most one-sided in baseball history. To trade a man who had once been the pitch ing star of the game for the man dsetined to shine as his successor was a bit of luck that transcends anything else recorded in the grand old dope Rusie had served New York long and well, and then, in the moment of his decline, he was swapped for Mathew son! Which is one of the several reasons why Cincinnati has never had q National league pennant. The jinx that has brooded over Redland ever
 
 overtime when the pilot of the Reds was seized with the ambition to swap the kid Mathewson for the veteran Rusie
 Rusie's service with New York covered. the last decade of the nine teenth century. In 1894 when the Giants finished second, he helped to win the Temple cup from the cham pior Baltimores in the post season series. In 1897 he led the National league pitchers, despite the fact that at that period the Giants were suffer ing a decline and the pitchers were given indifferent support
 Charles Ncary's Birthday.
 Charlie Weary, long one of the star lightweights of the ring, was born in Milwaukee thirtythree years ago to- day. His real name was Nehring. The young German began fighting in 1900, and within three years he had whip ped such good men as Kid Broad, Battling Nelson, Kid Herman and Johnny Thompson. In 1904 and 1905 he fought three draws with Aureglio Herrera, and was defeated by Kid Herman in Denver. He knocked out Herrera in 1906, but was himself knocked out by Jimmy Briggs in Los Angeles. Packey Mcfarland de- feated him in 1907. Neary's last inn portant ring appearance was in 1908, when he fought ten-round draw with Freddie Welsh in Milwaukee.