New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-06-03
" Alfred John"
gooLong;Now
It's Simply "Al"
Donovan's Young Catcher
Gains Place as First String
Yankee Player
By W. J. MACBETH

TO shake the dog. So he chopped 1T to
plain. unvanished al
That's just the style Of Bill Dono-
vans grand little catcher. That's why
he IS the grand little catcher. lie gets
out from under everything that Is
handicap.
You'd think to size him up in uni
form that Al Walters was too Smaii
and too frail-no, not to be catcner'
but 10 be a good catcher. And thinking
that you'd fool yourself, just as a "hole
lot Of major league scouts down IN the
Texas sticks fooled themselves. II ever
that old adage held good about choice
Goods in small parcels, it goes double
for this kid backstop Of the Yankees.
Il is true that Walters isn't big. Nor
vet is he a pygmy. He stands close 10
five feet seven now, for he has grown
an inch since he reported to New YORK
He is of rather slender build. but there
i notbing frail about him. II you
could imagine slightly smaller edl-
t;on Of the Ty Cobb that broke IN with
Detroit some ten years ago you wouiu
have a pretty good picture Of the phys
;col conformation OF one of the real
sensations of the American League
Never Will Be Big
Walters has just passed his twenty
fifth birthday. He is still growing
though he will never be pig; at le%s'
DURING his playing career. Johh NC
Gu was one, OF the smallest men III
the came before he hung up his glove;
pnt Walters is plenty big enough ana
strong enough. too. He IS OF the whlp-
cor6v TYNE. like Cobb, q youth always
at the top form OF physical slrehetl
and endurance He can mold the Speeu
Of Caldwell with better grace ana "p-
parently greater ease than 'he i HsI's
Nunamaker Lou Crlger looked ilNe
human silver. But Crger cau9ht "
Young when the daddy OF all pltcheIISS
,vos m his prime. Crlger was az
-. He was taller than Is Walters
Rut i'm no other way had he any physi-
cal advantage. c.....
ALWAYS lacked. unusual speed ana ag.-
itv On his feet. as we'll as with MS
lands There is no department OF the
,.S.nc in which he does not outshine the
s,.crere catcher. lie is no slugger, DuC
10 Lifs fairly well and is dangerous IN
ri-rbes lie is d good base runner
a. i, b1ckstop and thrower ne mas no
betters. u-o1.ors
smart baseball men who see Waters
I'm action predict wonderful lu''Ie
co.. the lad Already the writers are
beginning to compare nm WIN NHy
har
White Soy. Schalk, like Walters, Is
,r-no,y fast on the bases and un-
Tsuallv dangerous with the bat. But
"a far this season Walters has out
home the Chicago star in every de-
Al Walters is one of the few. the
-. yerv few. who establish MN
seif permanently in the affections OF
t,o homo fans i'm his first big league
,.me Hal Chase with the Yankees
Lack In 1905 did the same thing
George Sisler later repeated with me
browns. From his first game IN the
fan of 1915 till this day nothing pui
universal praise has been showered
upon the little Yankee backstop oy
New York fandom.
Recognize AIS Worth
The natrons recognized Walters 5
worth quite as readily as his com
rades. They recognized, too, that
little Al always gave the very pest
that was in him. A spirit OF thaV
nature will cover multitude OF SINS
tbouph. fortunately. AIS sins are
few. One day. before a crowd oi 20
COO At the Polo Grounds, Walters lost
game bv mufing an easy throw to
tho Mate. The multitude cneered en-
coursrement. There was not Jeer
or hiss. The testimonial was one OF
the most remarkable in the psycho.-
ogy Of baseball.
Walters made himself the very first
dav he got chance TO catch big
league game. Strangely enough, the
self-same Schalk was pitted against
him that afternoon. Paddy Baumann,
second base for the Yankees, made a
wonderful stop off Buck Weaver, but
threw wildly past Walter Pipp.
Weaver. dashing on toward second,
found the ball in Peckinpaugh's hands
awaiting him before he got within
twenty feet Of the station. Walters
had backed Up the throw for one OF
tho prettiest plays 20 which Yankee
rooters had been treated in many
years. II wasn't the custom Tor the
hackstop TO back throws when Ed
Sweeney was first catcher Of the Yam
KEGS.
Walters was such welcome change
10 the Indifferent Sweeney that no one
could fail 10 appreciate his worth. lie
showed such dash and spirit that he
won Leslie Nunamaker out OF his
Sweeney habits. Much Of Nunamaker' s
present capability has been due 70 the
prod Of self-pride and envy occasioncd
bv the grand work OF Walters IN that
first appearance before major league
crowd
No player in the majors has more
nerve than WALKERS He'd block an OK
prcss train 10 smut OF run. But for
his nerve he probably never would have
arrived. Certainly he would not be a
star catcher to-day. But JET him tell u
his own way.
~ always liked the game said
Walter; PLAYED 10 from the time can
first remember. ! suppose ] played
every position as a kid. / finally wound
M in independent bal ag "A shOr-stcp
N-r various teams Of my native city,
= San Francisco.
Starts Game Early
II was seventeen years old when ]
rot ny first crack az professional base
bail. Some one recommended nc 20
Saskatoon, Of the Western Canada
league. / went North % try pot luck
either in Che infeid or outhold. Billy
Hurley was the manager 81 The CanUek
team. he had booked an exhibition
pame for a Saturday before the open
irg q the season. Tho advance sac
vzs pretty good. and IL looked rs u