The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1916-01-17
Berghammer, Rebel
shortstop, a Jumper"
Who Will Come Back

While some of the o. B. magnates
show a disposition to nurse a grudge
against the players who jumped to
the Federal league, there are num-
Der of the 1eapers whose talents are
such that they are pretty certain to
get another chance under the main
tent One of these is Martin Berg
hammer the smooth shortstop Of the
Rebel Cakes clan which came so near
to winning the Fed flag for Pitts
ty-six years old tomorrow, having
been born Jan. Is, 1890 Strange to
say, he is 3, native Of the Smoky City
strange, because so few major lea
que ball players ever win fame in
their. home cities.saf
Berghammer was second. among
the Feds shortstops last season, with
an average of .946 in 1872 games
forty more than Roxey Roach. of the
Buffeds, who led the league in sh ort-
stopping. Marty also came within
one notch of leading the circuit in
scoring, having made the grand tour
of the bases ninety-six times, or three
less runs than Borton, of the Ter
riers. At working the twirlers for
passes Bergy was tied for second
tistics indicate that Marty was a
rather important hombre among the
almost champions.
Berghamr1aer received his early
baseball education on the lots of the
Smoky City and nearby towns When
professional experience, he was Of
tered a try-out with the Phillies, but
was prevented by illness from Beport-
ing. He got his real professional start
in 1911 with the Central Association,
and at the close Of the season was
drafted by the Chicago White Sox.
Jimmy Callahan decided that Marty
wasn't ripe for the majors, and sent
him to Lincoln, where his showing
in the western league resulted in an
other trip to the majors, this time
with the Cubs. After serving as a
Cubs, he was snapped to Cincinnati,
and was used as shortstop by the
Reds His jump to the Feds gave
him a chance to play In his home
city, and he soon became a hero
with the Gwinnerite fans. In the na7
tional league, Bergy batted .21S in
1913, and .22S in 1914. His swatting
average last year was .241.
Speaking of the defunct Federal
league, most of the scribes, even
among the most ardent of the Q. B,
defenders, are laying verbal wreaths
on its grave. Even Joe Villa, of the
New York Evening Sun, who used to
lie awake o. nights thinking up mean
things to write about the indepen-
dents, has put ASIDE MS manner eX-
cept for occasional use. A few days
ago, however, he resurrected his fa-
vorite charge that the Fed was not
a real major league, and as proof
pointed to the comparatively small
number taken over by the o. B. clubs
from the 200 Fed players. When it
is considered that o. B. magnates will
naturally stand by their faithful play
ers except such as are completely and
beyond doubt outclassed by Fed men,
this argument is not very convincing.
There is to be no blacklist, of course,
but it is pretty certain that only the
Fed players of superior ability will
land in the majors. The Feds may
have had-and, in the opinion of the
writer, did have-a large number of
players equa lin ability to the rank
and file Of the old majors. The de-
tenders of o. b. should remember that
the war is over and quit throwing
rocks at the CORPSE.