Evening star., 1915-02-28
BY JOHN II. GRUBER.

Harry Sallee. the left-handed pitcher
of the st. Louis Cardinals, has been
a prominent figure in the National
League almost from the first day he
entered the big show. To the average
fan. who never gives a thought to
details. he appears a veteran. Yet he
is only thirty years old and has been
in the major league but seven years.
entering 1t with only three years ex-
perience in the minors. 1t was not
his fault that he was not given an
earlier chance in the majors. The New
York American League team. with the
astute Clark Griffith at it's head, had
him good and fast, but deliberately let
him get away, and then added insult
to injury by selecting another pitcher
in his stead from the minor league
team to which he had been assigned.
Only for this display of poor judgment
Sallee would have entered the major
league one year earlier than he did.
Sallee has much in common with
other acknowledged great pitchers.
who could not win their full share of
games because of their connections
with losing teams. Winnie Mercer is
probably the first name TO come to
mind. He fingered with Washington
for years. honored and respected, but
his figures in the won-and-lost COL
umn did not compare with the best.
though he was of the best. But once
Sallee got a foothold in fast company
he never retreated. and is today placed
among the best left-handers in the
country.
slim" sallee was born in Hagens-
port. Ohio, July 49, 1885. There is no
record of him doing extraordinary, or
even ordinary, work in his native
state. His first professional engage
ment was with the Meridian tMiss.
team. in 1905. and note informed the
reader that the team was proud for
having obtained Nashville boy" In
1906 he was with the birmingham
team of the Southern League, and from
this team the New York Americans
drafted him for 1907.
oversupply of Slabmen.
The Yankees were then under the
a countless number of pitchers before
hands there We're Griffith himself, Jack
Chesbro, Al Orth. William Hogg. Joe
Doyle. Eros (Cy) Barger and Eustace
Brockett t"King" they called HIM.
from Buffalo: Bob Keefe, from Mon
treal: Roy Castleton, from Youngs-
town. and Earl Moore. from Cleveland.
mere was no room Tor Sallee, and so
he was sent to Williamsport, subject to
recall II the Yankees found no pitcher
more favorable in their eyes.
Williamsport was a member of the
Tri-State League. which that year
emerged from outlawry. where it had
nestled for three years, and re-entered
organized base ball The team had
little trouble in winning the cham
pionship, principally on account of the
fine work of it's pitchers. The success
full pitchers were Sallee, who won %
games and lost 5; Harry (Rube) Wick
ers. who Won % and lost 8. and Walter
Manning. who won II and lost g. In
place of recalling Sallee the New York
Americans selected Manning, and then
the ST. Louis National League club,
John j. McCloskey manager. pur-
chased Sallee's release, while Vickers
was recalled by the Athletics.
Sallee is the only one of the trio still
in fast company. Vfckers pitched fine
ball for the Athletics until the middle
Of the season of 1909. when he was re-
leased to Toledo. Manning Joined the
Yankees before the close of the season
of 1907 and remained with them until
July, 1910. Then he was sent to Roch-
ester. Neither re-entered the big
show.
southpaw Sole Survivor.
When Sallee struck st. Louis at the be-
ginning of the season of 1908 he was the