Evening star., 1915-01-31

play three more seasons with the team
When the season was over l returned
to Chicago. There the officers Of the
Y. NJ. c. A pleaded with me to give up
the game and accept the position OF
secretary of the religious department
The salary was only $50 per month. or
scarcely one-half of what received a
week for playing ball: Nevertheless
wanted to get into religious work.
II wrote to Col. John /. Rogers of the
Phillies and asked him for my release
Col Rogers replied he could not possi-
bly, grant it, as such players as myself
were needed, as We upheld the dignity
of the game.
II decided that as had been signed
in good faith there was nothing for me
to do but to stick to my contract. That
decision, though, didn't prevent me
from praying hard every day that my
desire to enter religious work might be
granted. Day after day prayed, Lord
II get my release before March 2o I'll
quit playing base ball for good. II not
I'll stick to my contract
MY prayer was answered March IL,
1891, received a letter from Col. Rog-
ers in which he granted me my release.
That very day Jim Hart. who was
president of the Chicago club. came to
me and offered me a contract to play
with the Cincinnati club. There I was
again between two fires. Hart was a
good talker. but l had made up my
Ius
and I decided to grab the eighty-three-
dollar-a month religious job with all
eagerness that I ever did fly ball with
two men out in the ninth inning and
our team ahead by one rum"
Barring Connie Mack's pitching staff
this wear, Washington will have the
youngest lot of pitchers that any ma
jor league team has ever boasted OF.
It's veteran performer is Walter john
ho fc hut
All the others are mere boys. Several
of them, in fact, are barely out OF
their teens and not all OF them are of
age. Bentley and Harper, for instance,
have not reached the stage where they
are eligible to vote. Joe Engel is just
over the mark, and Jim Shaw won't be
until the season is well under way.
Ayers and Gallia are young men and
Joe BochIing is but twenty-five and Is
virtually seeing his third year In pro-
sters on the staff develop. as it is be-
lieved they will. Griffith is sure to be
fortified with pitchers for years to
come. Few of his twirlers have ever
had any minor league experience.
johnson, for instance. was never in
professional ball until he came here.
Previous to this time he worked for
solno semi-pro teams. Bentley and
Harper never had any education In the
minors, nor did Engel. This, too, was
but Griffith sent him out for one sea-
son for development. which also was
done with jim Shaw.
Griftith yesterday morning: The Ma
ttonals' field captain. who lives IN Mil
waukee, belongs to that class OF ath-
letes who never spend their winters In
according to Mac. has taken up his
time this winter, and as result he re-
ports himself as being in splended
condition and ready for the bell to call
him into training camp.
II only need to loosen up the muscles
in my arms and legs to he ready for
the opening game" is the way Mcbride
puts 1t.
ut would not surprise me in the least
II Alya Williams arm was better this
year than it has been for several" re-
marked Eddie Foster yesterday. His
throwing in the games at Calexico was
nothing short of marvellous. He played
first base most Of the time but he also
caught few games, and it was on such
occasions that his throwing attracted
attention. 1t was nice and warm down
there, which, of course. was benefit
to his pegging, but his arm looked bet
ter than 1t has for some time"
Realizing that the bringing of the
suit to dissolve organized base ball
was a rather unpopular move, winch
brought forth criticism from nearly al
patrons of the game, the Federal
League has backed down from its
original plea and now Is protesting not
to have taken the legal action for the
purpose of trying to ruin the principles
upon which organized base ball was
constructed.
Gilmore took occasion when he
rea ched New York Friday to deny the
reports that the Federal League was
dealing the national pastlme q telling
blow by it's court action. In fact the
promoters of the new league seem to
have Withdrawn everything which theiy
affidavits charged when the case was
! taken into court. and all they now ap-
pear to ask for is more equitable
working agreement between the pro-
n1oters and players, which judged on
the methods the Feds have been en-
nioyina would mean that the players
should not be forced to live up to their
contracts, but should jump to the Feds
whenever 1t suits them to do so.
Inasmuch as organi1ed base ball has
never taken q player away from the
Feds who had not originally been Its
property, there is no question of equity
| involved, but the Feds are Offering any
sort of excuse now, because they real
Ire thew are in bad with the public be-
nause Of their having jeopardi5ed the
! future of the game.
l ~ux.N>~ uhvoLa &hA v0fnr T.Os An,