New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-02-14
By JOHNNY EvERS,
~ IN. Rcston Braves.

o.
BY JOHNNY EvERs,
C.ntain of the Boston Braves.
To what might be called chsrter
members Of the old Chicago Cubs the
breakinp up of that famous machine
was filed with pathOs 1t was Ike ths
breaking up Of happy family; We mao
been more than just fellow players or
s cove ;S. m "f h to crumple
Il /, wonder that its disintegration
AID not carry US all out Of big league
baseball. for it had q telling enect on
ne and / think that one of the hardest
and longest battles | have ever engaged
In was overcoming that depressing feei-
inc which tried to strange my desire
to still play baseball under the Dig
tent. 49,.
d,r;no the asasons of 1905 and 1917 the
Cubs we're as near TO being unbeatable
az any sporting combination tnat mas
ev.r naraded through q schedule OF any
length. In 1908 the Cubs overcame Dig
odd, and in the greatest baseball race
81 ali TINS managed to win the Ma
t;on,i League championship in an extra
game with the Giants, played betore
~ largest number of persons who had
sver Witnessed a baseball game up 70
thst time. At the old Polo Grounds, on
october 8. 1908. Subsequently, the
Cubs defeated the Detroit Tigers In the
world series. .L,ro
an N IN. Cubs started In the spring Oh
tbat year--i90s. The rumbling at tirst
was distant but to those who could
hear. as every member OF the team
could Il sounded ominous, and, 10
man we seemed to realize that ~ was
The beginning of the end OF the great
est baseball machine that has ever oeen
known. s an,
/ was while We were vending our
vsy North by easy stages from tne
spring camp in 1908 that the n,st lh.'-
nation of trouble clouded the hitneI.o
serene existence we had been enJoylhg
"a members of the ChicasO NsIonsi
League Club under the regime OF FRANK
Chance.
Demanded $1,000 Bonus.
BROWN. Overall and Pfeister had been
shouldering the major portion OF tne
pitching burden. Their defensive "o,k
in the box had helped materially IN the
winning of the two previous chanlpionI,
ships. On the spring trip they ns1
been discussing this and they arrived
AT the conclusion that their WORK wss
not being appreciated as 1t shoula pc
Tbov went TO Frank Chance and dc,
manded that each be given oohus %
81 900 before they took up the WORK luz
the impending season.
Chance Immediately consulted Char-
lev Murphy, and the latter hat-rootedly
declined to consider any such proposi.
ton and issued the ultimstum 70 the
three pitchers that they would worS
for the salaries stipulated in their con-
tracts, and no more. A.,
II was in handling this case tha'
Murphy showed his policy, for wnen
the three pitchers still insisted tha'
thew receive the 81 900 each even after
he had issued his ukase, he sought out
Mordecai Brown at Memphis and, &C
cording to the story as it was AFTER.
ward told, practically demanded tha'
Brown throw down his two comrades
promising Brown that he would &c,
81 900. This Brown naturally refused
TO do. A compromise was rescheo
which apparently was satisfactory 70
ali concerned. but later, when Orvie
Overall returned to the Cubs under my
MANAGEMENT he told me that ne was
still owed $500 in that deal
Another incident in connection with
the 1908 season which further empha-
sizes Murphy's policy is worth record.
inQ at this time The closeness or tha'
race need not be dwelt upon, FOR every
one Is familiar with il.
When we left the West for the last
swing around the Eastern end OF the
circuit, the Giants were leading by. five
or six games, and it looked as II there
wasn't !. chance for US TO pull up and
heat the New York Club to the tape
Chance was somewhat discouraged just
before we left Chicago. He had set
his mind upon winning the champion.
ship for the third consecutive time, and
he was very much disappointed. Ihe
winning of that championship amounted
TO an ambition with him.
! Murphy, however, apparently hgurec
that it was q good opportunity 10 sigr
Chance 10 new contract. He evidently
and quite rightly, too-believed that
being somewhat discouraged, Chance
would not insist upon big salary
J Therefore, before We left Chicago TO,
that last Eastern trip, Murphy Offered
, Chance four-year contract at q small
salary-a small salary when compared
| with what other managers were beini
paid. I will tell more about this lit
| lie later on in this story.
McGraw Overconfdent.
By the time we arrived In Philadel
mia, with q double header facing Us
the going looked so soft to John Nc
Grsw that he decided to work two
pitchers, who had been purchased from
| the indianapolis American Association
! club, in a double-hesder against the
| Cincinnati club. Those two pitchers
were "Rube" Vanguard, purchased FOL
! sll 900, and Bull" Durham, purchased
/ for 50, 900. The Giants lost both games
Over in Philly Chance was up agains
q stiff proposition. Our regular pitch
ers had been working overtime in ar
effort to keep the club up in the race
and within striking distance of tn,
Giants. They were tagged out. Tn,
strain had been terrific, and Chanc,
was confronted with the proposition Of
working his pitchers in such Q way as
70 lessen that strain and still get The
same effective work out OF them, for
although Chance Gss somewhat dis
q coursged, it must be understood thai
I he was always full Of fight and had not
given up the race by any means. He
was determined to make il q fight &c
the finish.