El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-02-08
Tinker Tells Of Best Christmas
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$500 Advance Money Is Cause OF Joy
BY JOE TINKER

nounced that on the final day OF the
| season we would play a double
| header with the Tacoma team, which
| had finished second in the race.
And every member Of the team that
won the second game was to receive
! fine silk umbrella.
Mind YOU, they didn't even present
| the members Of the pennant-winning
! Portland team with the umbrellas.
| They made us play for them. and If
we didn't win the game the rain sheds
; went TO the Tacoma players.
As the umbrellas possibly didn't cost
over a dollar apiece the glazing cheap
ness of the whole thing made us first
laugh and then got as good and mad
We thought of that $4,000 profit that
We had made for the Portland own
crs. and-well. what could you expect?
Tacoma beat us, 20 to ., and carried
off the umbrellas.
Reds Bid For Him
Some of us had to scurry around
and get car fare TO our home towns.
had about $3.50 saved up, and part of
this went for transportation to good
old Kansas City. Just before leaving
for home I received a contract from
the Cincinnati Reds, then under the
ownership OF John T. Brush. I jumped
with joy when 1 saw this, : it was
my first smell of the good things that
are supposed to be dished out under
the big tent"
So I landed in Kansas CitJ with a
light heart. There 1 found another
sent in duplicate This appeared to
make my future safe, and as I was
about to sign one OF them 7 happened
to run into Jack Mccarthy, the old
outfielder and later with the Cubs.
] showed him the Cincinnati offer
and Jack never said a word. but what
he did was far more eloquent than
anything else could have been. He
seeized his nose with one hand and
made a terrible grimace. That was
enough for me. and 1 delayed signing.
A few days later I received a nice
letter from James A. Hart. president
Of the Chicago National league team.
He told me that II he could get my re-
lease from Portland he would be glad
TO sign me, and asked what terms I
would consider. He said his scouts had
recommended me as an infielder.
This was the real thing, and ] has
tened to reply that I would be glad to
sign with the Chicago team if ] could
get $1,000 FOR the seasons work. Then
I sat back and waited in fear and
trembling.
In a few days came another letter
from Mr.. Hart, in which he spoke very
kindly, but told me outright that for a
kid player, who would be nothing but
an experiment in the big league, my
price was too high, and suggested that
couldn't cut it some.
Signs Up For $500.
It didn't take long to think IL over,
That same afternoon / wrote the Chi
cagO president that I would sign at
once for $1,000 for the season il the
club would advance me $500 at once.
] had heard about this matter Of ad-
vance money from some Of the older
players and thought l would be fash
ionable by asking for it, You see. I
figured it sort Of made a big man OF
me in the eyes of NJ. Hart.
But I really needed the $500, as
my folks, with whom I was living.
weren't affluent and could barely ger
by without my help.
By that time my holidays had rolled
around and my bank roll was pretty
badly shot up I'll never forget about
going TO dance on Christmas eve. The
following morning l was still sleeping
when my mother awoke me to say that
a letter from Chicago had just been de-
liVercd. I bounded out Of bed like a
rubber ball and seized that letter. [ |
tore il open and out dropped the hand |
somest-looking check for $500 that man /
over gazed at.
Subsequent worlds series checks for /
ten times that amount never looked /
nan as good to me as did that one from !
Chicago.
Just put yourself i'm my place and /
think what happy situation that was .
me at home and practically broke.
christmas morning, and with little to I
look forward to.
The ell ] let out never was equaled /
by amy Comanche Indian. My mother
sat down and wcpt with joy. and ]
danced her around the room wildly.
ii proved the best Christmas 7 ever |
mad, because IL was so unexpected.
1t is needless to say ] signed at once
and that Christmas day 1901. became
for the first time a member Of the Chi
rago Cub team
Vow Wen &c. down to real doings
and i'm my next I'll tell YOU my expert
ance when ] first got sight Of my new
teammates the following spring