The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-05-22
.HORNSBY ROSE TO
RENOWN in VERY
SENSATIONAL WAY

New York, May 22--From the OBJ
security of the. sand lots to stardon in
the fastest baseball company seems
a long jump. but it can be negotiated
both easily and quickly of one has the
ambition and courage to try his hard
est Rogers Hornsby, shortstop of the
st. Louis Cardinals, stands today a
fitting proof of the assertion.
-, Rogers Hornsby, at the age of TWEEN
ty-one, is one of the greatest stars
of the National League. Three years
ago this spring he played his first
professional engagement with Hugo,
Okla, in the Texas-O Oklahoma league.
Agar ago he was a. fixture with the
Cardinals; he had won his spurs in
the few. games he played with st.
Louis In the fall of 1915.
A STRIPPING of nineteen, fresh from
the plains and with practically nc
minor league experience, who on his
first brief trial with a club desper-
ate1y in need of strengthening could
outhit and outfield such veteran fix
, lures Of the game as the mighty
Wagner, the temperamental thinner
man and the gingery Herzog, might
be excused for Nbetraying small traces
of egotism. Hornsby is not of that
type.
Rogers Hornsby is a modest, I'M
assuming, gent1eman1y young man.
He wears the same sized hat that he
wore when he first arrived in st.
Louis. He radiates the cheeriness
and wholesomeness Of youth and
health His rudy face and dark
brown eyes are as open as the plains
Hornsby is a well knit lad just past
his majority He is aexact1y six feet
in height and weighs ITS pounds. On
close contact, when one can escape
the brown eyes, the most striking
characteristic, perhaps, is this young
fellows hands They are hands of a
size and power that would delight
even a Wagner. Hornsby, like Wag-
ner, LIS possessed of exceptional reach
and breadth of shoulders He will be
a physical giant when he broadens out
IN maturity. He is a product Of Fori
Worth, Tex
ST was born in Runne1s County,
Tex, April 27, 1885, he said
though the family moved to For1
Worth when was very young. My
earliest recollections have to do with
Fort Worth. And baseball is one OF
my earliest recollections.
THE time of the baseball war be-
tween the National and American
leagues I used to hear the bigger boys
talking of the big salaries the stars OF
those days received. From then un
til made the big league my every en-.
ergy was bent to that purpose. Every
minute Of my spare time devoted te
practice. When had no one to prac-
tice with I practiced alone. have
spent hour after hour throwing at 6
target.
This practice, believe, is respon-
sibie in a measure to my development
You can see for yourself am pretty
well equipped physically, at least. In
those early days, of course, could
see only one department of the game
Sure, wanted to be a pitcher. Die
you ever see a hoy who started il
with any other aim?
II did some pitching at that,
HornSby smiled. TN fact, the boys
of Fort Wort High school thought ms
coming Mathewson at one time.
might have been a pitcher, too, If
hadn't liked the game so well. We
school teams out West played abou
every day, and, of course, I cou1dn'
pitch every day. I wanted to be il
that lineup, however, and on ever!
occasion where a sub was wanted
was right on the job. I played ever.
J inheld and outdeld position on tina