New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1916-11-11
GLASS Arms WERE
EXPENSIVE once
tom" Burns Proved This to
Pittsburgh Clubs Satisfaction

Charles Comiskey, once offered in
court of law expert testimony to
the effect that a third baseman with
glass arm is of more value to a ball
club than one with q glassless wing!
whether the present owner of the
White Sox expressed such belief
merely as a joke, whether he ac-
tually meant it, has remained a mys-
terry for something like twenty four
years. But the fact remains that the
Old Roman did make such a declara-
flon and that it undoubtedly helped to
l2Buence judge in rendering YER
dc IN baseball suit involving $12,-
coo.
Back along in 1892, when William
Chase Temple owned the Pittsburgh
Nationals he decided to sign up Tom
Burns, the once time member of Cap
Anderson's stonewau infeld. How
ever, before the deal finally was put
through, Temple was tipped that
Burns had a glass arm. (In baseball
parlance that means a throwing arm
which has become kinky and stiff,
and, therefore, is useless in a base
bah way.) .a.
UP Burns, merely on the strength Of
that report And so he wired Burns
something like this:
Will contract you for three years
at salary $4,000 per year upon condi-
ton that your throwing arm is in per-
feet condition. Unless you can guar
antee condition of your arm, deal is
Off"
Burns wired back:
My arm in perfect condition. Will
guarantee it."
Temple then signed Burns, only to
find out within a short time that the
reports concerning thu 1inging fin
of Burns had been true that the arm
of the former star of the Chicago
team was dead as far as baseball use
fulness was concerned.
$50 there was nothing left for me
to do but to release Burns said Tenn
pie.
Burns Immediately afterward filed
suit for $12. 000-three years salary
against the Pittsburgh club, summon
Ing Comiskey among others to testi-
fly in his behalf.
The trial came Up before a Chicago
Judge who regarded baseballing as a
sort of roughneck occupation, and
knew little more about the game than
does q cannibal island cheftain.
Comiskey, who then was famous
as a ball player and manager of the
four-time champion St Louis Browns,
was called to the stand.
Have you ever heard used in your
baseball business the expression,
glass arm? ' Comiskey was asked.
"Oh, yes sir; I have one myself"
was the reply.
do you think that the possession
Of so-called glass arm is a handi-
cap to a ball player? Would it af-
feet the usefulness Of a player?"
II do not think it would affect the
usefulness Of an -fnflelder."
why not ?"rrsrr-..
Comiskey, without the flicker of
a smile on his face, then made this
remarkable reply in substance:
"Weu, Your Honor, the position
played by an infielder requires him
to make what is known as snap
throws. AS you surely must know,
glass is brittle and snaps easily.
Therefore, a third baseman with
glass arm would seem to be of
more value to a ball club than one
who didn't have a glass arm. Do T
make myself clear?"
Perfectly, sir answered the
judge; II get your point exactly"
And then the judicial person YER
balIy f1ayed the Pittsburgh club own
ers for their stand that a glass
armed" player was a rather useless
person and ruled that the club
should pay Burns the $4,000 and
the costs of the case as well.
Objection was taken to the ruling,
however, but the club owners lost.
The suit finally was settled by the
Pirate owners paying Burns six
weeks salary, the period from the
date of his release, until the suit
was decided.
1t was during the same trial that
cap" Arson, who also testified that
he had 'glass arm got the rudest
shock of his lengthy career.
Cap" just then the most talked
about player in the United States,
took his place in the witness chair