The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1916-07-28
old Time PITCHERS
Some of the Former Stars Who
Won Fame on the Diamond.
THEIR FEATS OF ENDURANCE.


Boston Nationals to Victory Four
Years In Succession - Radbourne's
Great Record-Some Sad Finishes.
What becomes OF ali the great pitch
ers who thrill the baseball populace
for day? That depends upon the
age In which they lived III man
won his fame in the period from twen
ty to forty years ago he probably Went
back penniless to manual labor whence
he came, or else he found an early
grave. But if lie was fortunate enough
to make his baseball fame within the
last score OF years he may still be
drawing Il good salary from some club
treasury. OR he may be enjoying pros
perity as a successful business man
a. q. Spalding was one of the few
men who won nation wide fame on
the diamond in the earlier period was
absolutely upspoiled by il and then fol
lowed 1t up it'll even greater fame III
the business world. Spaldng jumped
into the limelight as "A seyenteen-year
old boy with the Rockford Qll) club
way back In 1861 Talk about the en-
durance Of the modern twlrling giants
Just consider what this original iron
man did IN the early seventies. Dur
ing that period he was a member Of
the Boston Nationals, ana he won the
league championship for his team four
years in succession, He was Bostons
only pitcher and he twired every
game the team played, though in
those days games We're scheduled only
every other day and the season was
shorter than it is now
Old timers love to dwell on the PROV
ess OF Charles Radbourne, who shone
with quite as much brilliancc as Spald-
ing until consumption cut short his ca
reer, about twenty-five years ago. Rad
bourne was q member Of the Proyi
dence team. and when Charles Swee
ney deserted that club in midseason
only Radbournc was left for slab work
But that didn't bother Radbourne, for
he not only jumped right in and did
all the pitching but made a new
worlds record by winning eighteen
straight games and the championship
for Providence This gameness. how
ever. cost Badbomne his life, for his
health broke under the strain. which
was generally credited with having
caused his assumptions
From day abornr to the worlds pre-
mier pitcher ana then back again, is. In
brief the history Of Amos Rusie who
from 1889 to 1891 thrilled the baseball
world l.usie had a narrow escape
from being cast into the utter darkness
Of oblivion before he could get started
The first day he entered the big league
he was weighed by Bancroft the man
ager Of the Cleveland team, and found
wanting After watching him pitch
one game Bancroft let him go But
John r. Brush owner Of the Cincinnati
club, had faith IN this youngster, gave
him his chance and suddenly the re
cruit blossomed forth into the greatest
pitcher of his day But prosperity and
the applause Of the unthinIling crowd
were too much for Ruse
Then there were Tim Keefe and John
Clarkson about whose respective mer-
its the fans are still divided In 1888
Keefe won nineteen straight games for
New York while in 1899 Clarkson
pitched seventytwo games for Boston,
winning forty six of them These two
men, whose exploits were heralded
from one end Of the country to the
other were radically different IN TEN
perament. Clarkson utterly ruined his
health by not taking proper care Of
himself and died in an insane asylum.
But Tim Keefe retired with money In
the bank.
Probably more printers Ink was
used to tell Of the exploits OF the &C.
centric Rube Waddell than any other
baseball player that ever lived Rube
was always good for a story, no matter
what he did. On the diamond this
man was forever breaking records. frst
in jumping from one team TO another
and then by making new strikeout rec
ords Probably his greatest feat was
when he called ia all the outfielders
and then retired the side In order But
consumption finished his broken down
constitution.
Cy Young belongs TO a different
school Of pitchers He was a shining
example Of baseball longevity founded
upon clean living. This marvellous
man who broke into major league
baseball In 1890, pitched every season
for twenty-five years, a record still un-
equaled Philadelphia Ledger.