The Washington herald., 1917-01-30
Famous Pilot Of the Players
Fraternity Is Native Of Vir-
giniia and Leading Lawyer
in New York City.

The old State Of virginia has produced
many a prominent man and is noted for
its statesmen, but 1t was Up to old Vir-
ginla to keep the old stove league boiling
during the past winter. This individual
responsible for this Is no other than Davy
FultZ, president OF the Baseball layers
Fraternity.
Many of the present-day fans will ask
who this Davy FNultz is, and for the bene-
ft Of the fireside league fans a little his
tory OF the famous striker is as fol-
lows:
David Lewis Fultz was born in Stsun-
ton. Va. the birthplace of President Will
son. His father was a Virginia lawyer and
his grandfather a Virginia judge The
family went to the South from Pennsyl-
vania and originally came from Holland.
This explains some things about Dave
Fultz. The moving of a mountain Is
simple matter compared to moving a
Pennsylvania Dutchman from his opinion
after once he has made up his mind.
On his mothers side Fultz is a great
great-grandson OF John Morton. one of
the signers OF the Declaration of Inde-
pendence.
As boy Dave attended the Staunton
Military Academy, so neither his ancestry
nor his training did much toward fitting
him for the role of a pacifist. He entered
Brown University in the class of '9S and
was d member of the Delta Phi fraternity.
FuItz is regarded by most persons as the
best football player that ever earned his
letter at Brown. He was the star back
OF a great back field. In his senior year
he Captained his eleven Among the men
who played football with him at Brown
were Kinkead, now known as the Fight
ing Sheriff. and Gammons almost as
good a back at Fultz himself.
He was also a stellar light in college
baseball and captained the university nine
in both his junior and senior years. 1t
is not often that a man is found of suf-
fcient popularity and athletic ability to
he selected captain of two college teams
the same season. On the Brown base
ball team Fultz played second and Lauder
third base. They attracted the attention
Of the major league managers and were
both signed by the Phillies in the latter
part OF the season OF 1898.
The following year took Fultz to Balti-
more, where he played under John ]. Nc
Graw. Then came the forming OF the
American League and Dave went to Mil
waukee with Connie Mack, where he
played shortstop and second base.
In 1901 the American League invaded
the East and Mack took Fultz and sew
eral other players with him tc Phila-
delphia. This was the beginning Of the
present Athletics.
Fultz had trouble with his arm in 1902
and Connie shifted him to the outield.
This was the season that the Athletics
won their first pennant, and Francis c.
Richter, IN his editorial comment In
Reach's Guide of 1903, in writins of the
different members OF the championship
team, said: David L. Fultz, the fast
and dashing outielder OF the Athletic
team. has developed into one of the great
l., try
getter, a team and inside player, he has
not his equal in either major league to-
day-a fact that makes him of the great
est value to any team he Is connected
with
That year Fultz played in 12s games,
was at the bat 500 times, scored 10 runs,
made Isl hits, stole 4s bases and finished
the season with a batting average Of 300.
Ed Delehanty led the league that year
with SO.
y FuItz came to the New York Yankees
In 1905 That was in the days when Clark
Griffith managed the team and Joseph
W. Gordon owned II. 1t was In New
York that Dave finished his big league
career.
one day in the autumn OF 1905 the
Yankees were playing an early game OF
baseball in order to leave the field to
Columbia and Union, who were to en-
cage in a football battle there later in
the afternoon. Fultz was playing center
field and Elberfeld was playing shortstop'
a short fly was raised toward left cen
ter Both men started for it Fultz Is
Eve feet ten and EIberfeld was shorter.
As a result when they came together Ell
berfeId's head hit F'ultz alongside OF the
cheek bone It smashed his jaw and
knocked him out He was taken 10 the
hospital, and that was the end OF his
active baseball career
During the OF seasons and In his spare
time FuItz had been attending the New
YORK Law School and he decided to aban-
don baseball for the legal profession. In
1906 he went into partnership with FREQ
Murphy, a Brown '99 man, and the nrm OF
Murphy & Fultz still is doing business at
No. Al Wall Street.
In later years Fultz has done more OF
less oficiating at football games, and
with Murphy, his law partner, ne ls no"
known as one of the best football officials
In the country. A member OF the rules
committee only a few weeks ago saiu
FuItz was the best football referee In
the game. | -
F1IItz naturally became the legal ad-
wiser of many baseball players. In l9lV
he was approached in the matter OF the
baseball Players Fraternity, but 1t was
not until 1872 that he organized II WIN
himself at its head. Since that time
there have been many reforms In base
ball, and the players at least peneFe
that it is largely owing to Fultz that
they have come about. 1t Is beyond
question that many OF them at the pres
ent time will back his Judgment i'm
pIicitIy even should 1t lead them to the
length Of a baseball strike.
FuItz does not wish to strike any more
than the owners do. He has said all
along that he never has taken the stand
that there is no chance for conferences
or arbitration, but he also says that the
players demands are Just and that the
only way that the little fellows can be
taken care of Is for the big fellows to
stick by them. As long as Fultz is at
its head the fraternity may be depend
ed upon to remain an aggressive and
progressive association.
To the club owners Fultz is { sort Of
Fuzzy-Wuzzy. That is to say, hey re-
gard him as a poor benighted heathen
but a nrst-class fighting man.