Milford chronicle., 1916-09-22
OLD TIME PITCHERS
Some of the Former Stars Who
Won Fame on the Diamond.
THEIR FEATS OF ENDURANCE.

! Spalding All Alone Twirled the ol
! Boston Nationals to Victory Fou
Years In Succession - Radbourne'
Great Reeord-some Sad Finishes.
What becomes Of all the great pitch
ers who thrill the baseball populacl
for a day? That depends upon thu
age in which they lived. If a maj
won his fame in the period from TWEEN
ty to forty years ago be probably wen
back penniless to manual labor whence
he came, or else he found an early
grave. But If he was fortunate enough
to make his baseball fame within the
last score Of years he may still be
drawing a good salary from some club
treasury. Or he may be enjoying pros.
perity as a successful business man.
A. G.. Spalding was one Of the few
men who won nation wide fame on
the diamond In the earlier period, was
absolutely unspoiled by 1t and then fol.
lowed it up with even greater fame in
the business world Spalding jumped
into the limelight as a seventeen-year-
old boy with the Rockford Qll.) club
way back in 1867. Talk about the en-.
durance Of the modern twirling 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, and he won the
league championship for his team four
years in succession. He was Bostons
only pitcher, and he twirled every
game the team played, though in
those days games were 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 brilliance as Spald.
ing until consumption cut short his ca
reer about twenty-five years ago. Rad
bourne was a member of the Provi
dence team. and when Charles Swee
ney deserted that club in midseason
only Radbourne was left for slab work
But that didn't bother Radbourne. for
he not only jumped right in and did
all tie pitching. but made a new
worlds record by winning eighteen
straight games and the championship
for Providence. This gameness. how
ever. cost Radbourne his life, for his
health broke under the strain. which
was generally credited with having
caused his consumption.
From day laborer to the worlds pre-
mier pitcher and then back again. is. in
brief. the history of Amos Rusie. who |
from 1889 to 1894 thrilled the baseball |
world Rusie 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 T 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 unthinking crowd
were too much for Rusie.
Then there were Tim Keefe and John
Clarkson. about whose respective mer
It's the fans are still divided In 1888
Eeefe won nineteen straight games for
New York. while in 1899 Clarkson I
pitched seventy-two games for Boston
forty-six Of them These two .
men. whose exploits were heralded
rom one end Of the country to the {
,ther. were rad ca.lt different in ten
)erament 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
he bank. +
Probably more printers ink was
lsed to tell of the exploits of the &c /
entric Rube Waddell than any other +
'aseball player that ever lived. Rube /
vas always good for story. no matter 3
What he did On the diamond this t
nan was forever breaking records. first n
n jumping from one team to another a
nd then by making new strikeout rec q
rds Probably his greatest feat was u
yhen be called in all the outfeders a
nd then retired the side in order. But n
consumption finished his broken down Il
q
Cy Young belongs to a different a
chool of pitchers He was a shining a
xample Of baseball longevity founded y
pon clean living. This marvellous
iaa, who broke into major league II
aseban in 1890 pitched every season a
Or twenty-five years. a record still un- s.
qualed.-Philadelphia Ledger