Evening star., 1915-03-29
BY JOHN n. GRUBER.

At the close of the season Of 1902 the
in dire distress The best part Of its
players had hurdled to the American
League, and the Athletics, who profited
by the jumps, had entered the arena as
pronounced and successful competitors
They had won the American League
championship in 1902, whereas the Phil
lies wound up in seventh place, next to
last.
The owners of the club. John T. Rogers
and AL Reach, were ready to throw up
their franchise in the National League,
but through the loyal exertions of Bar
ney Dreyfuss of the Pittsburgh club a
company was formed, which purchased
the holdings for 100000, and the
| threatened breach in the ranks of the
| old organization was averted- The new
owners kept the team of 1902 intact,
| with the exception of Doc White, who
| jumped to tho Chicago American
| League team, and Hugh Jennings, who
was sent back to Brooklyn, and en-
| gagged Charley thinner for manager,
who added nearly a score of new men
1 to the list.
One of the new men was John Titus
! who had made quite d record with the
( Concord team of the New England
!
| ]. Carney, the veteran pitcher. Titus
/ was not secured until the season was
! well on its way. He was placed in the
| outfeld, where he remained from June
| IL, 1903, the day he played his f1rst
! game with the Phillies, until June g.
I 1912, when he made his last appearance
| in Philadelphia uniform as a pinch
| hitter for Catcher killifer. This period
| embraces just one more week thar
| nine years.
Born in Keystone State.
When Titus. who was born in st
Clair, Pa, October 20, 1854. Joined the
Phillies their outfeld consisted ol
John Berry in left. Roy Thomas in cen
ter and Billy Keister in right. Before
long Titus was a stationary object II
right field. The next season-1so4-
sherwood Magee was added. and thi.
itrio-Magee, Thomas and TituS-madt
up one OF the best outhelds In the Ma
tional League. as explained In pre-
vious letter.
With them to depend on the Phiiadel
phia club had little use for new out
field material, and consequently neve
sought any worth speaking Of. In 100
lit secured Tom Fleming by draft from
Colorado Springs and bought Ed Z
! Van Buren from Portland. Ore. bu
both were let go in May. Fleming un
, sas City. which in July released him t
San Francisco.
/ In 1905 not an extra outfielder wa
5 engaged. All the subbing was don
: by Otto Kruger. an infielder. and JOIN
Lush, pitcher. Kruger was got Il
E trade from Pittsburgh, with Kilt
: Bransfield and Harry Mccormick. TO
5 Del Howard. Mccormick was an out
A fielder. but did not report to the Phil
r lies until 1908.
No extra infelder was secured TO
: 1906. and again players of other posi-
tions were put to sub work. Ernes
4 Courtney and Paul Sentelle were use
on the few OFF days. and Lush ais
played a number of games in the out
field. Courtney was third basemar
n and a good one at that. He was obtain
o ed from Buffalo in 1905 and was dis
tinguished for possessing the bigges
o hands Of any ball player In any dec
r ade He was sent to Jersey City Il
q 1909, where he played first base. Sen
i. telle was drafted from the Mobile clu
: and was also an infielder. He was lie
o go in 1907.
However, In 1906. the most remark