Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-05-24
PAT TEBEAU
WAS A GREAT
BASEBALL MAN
One of Staunchest Warriors
Lost When He Com
mitted Suicide.
By
George
McMar,us

mitted Suicide.
St. Louis, May 24.-Basebalrs old
guard lost one Of its staunchest war
riors when Oliver P. ("Pat") Tebeau,
following a protracted illness, recently
longed to the old school of players
whose fighting spirit overshadowed
their playing abilities. In his day the
winning player frequently was the one
with the widest vocabulary and the
best umpire was h one with the
harder fist. Games in his days were
sometimes merely occasions for fights
and runs were made only by sturdy
men who fought their way around the
Tebeau was a product Of the sand
professional engagement vas with
Jacksonville. Ill, in 1885. A year later
he went to the st. Joseph, Mo-. club
In the Western association, playing
second base. In 1887 he was trans
terred to Denver in the same league
and his stellar work caused him to be
signed by tho Chicago White Stockings
Of which cap" Arson was the man
ager. He played third base with that
L CluU. Liz AOllO"AI6 yO0A Ao "00
signed by the Minneapolis team of the
Western association and when that
club disbanded he Joined the Omaha
club. About his time Cleveland in
the National league was casting about
for players and he was signed. At the
end Of the season Of 1883 the Brother
hood revolt came and Teheau was as
signed to Cleveland in the Players
league. When the baseball war was
ioo1o~aI off ho woo Siona6 tn oanf9in
the Cleveland Nationals and later was
made manager and first baseman OF
the team. After several years of Sue
cesses the franchise was moved to st.
Louis in 1899 and Tebeau came here
Is manager of the st. Louis Nationals.
but in the middle of the a next
year he quit and devoted himself to
business.
Tebeau's death caused his 'old
guard" friends here to- indulge in
"reminiscences. Bobby Wallace, who,
dinal club as a shortstop, described
Tebeau's as "a royal roughneck on
the ball field: an unquestioning
friend n an uncompromising me-
N.Y. Wallace also admits that It was
Tebeau who convinced him that he
was not a pitcher and set him to work
as an inielder on the old Cleveland
club.
Pat was q hard loser" Wallace
said. IF his club dropped a close n
the veins in his neck stood out and it
remember one day if Philadelphia
after we had lost by n run a small
boy approached Pat and asked him
for his glove. Every n expected to
see the boy receive a severe thrashing.
Instead Tebeau gave the boy bis glove;
hen in a moment of combined pique
and generosity gave the lad all the
old balls he could find, another glove
and finally his shoes. He explained
that he might as well give them away
for he was doing no good with them"
Tebeau is also credited with having
once put an umpire of h field. In
q game with Chicago, Lynch, the UNI
pire, called a close decision at first
base. Tebeau protested and was vol
uble in his abuse. Lynch ordered him
of the field. Pats answer was to walk
up to the umpire and stick his chin
into Lynch's face.
"You get of the field yourself OF
you'll go to the hospital in a hurry"
was Pats edict The umpire quickly
decided that he didn't care to UNI
pire for a bunch Of hoodlums." and
Jack Powell, veteran pitcher who is
attempting a comeback with the
Browns this year. tells Of an occasion
when Tebeau looked with superstitu'
ton on q bouquet Of flowers. anC
barred floral pieces from the field.
"Cy Young had shut out Baltimore
in the first game Of a critical series
and ]. blanked them in the second,
says Powell. There was a near rio
after each game and the police escort
ed us to 11otSi. On the third da!
a hundred police were ringed arount
the field. Everything went fine 70,
s to o. Cupid Chflds, III secont
baaaman, lived in Baltimore and il
the sixth inning was given a hug
bouquet In the same inning tn.
If. Orioles pushed over eight runs When
the inning raj over Tebeau grabbed
the flowers n heaved them into tn.
standSl Nobody on this club will eve
set any flowers SO long as I am boss,
he bsllowed. And they never did"
Everything that would tntimidat'
the opposition was ~resorted to by TIE
beau. The Cleveland Spiders ono
went to Chicago for an importan
eertes. Pat took a box Of flea ant
stuck them in the ground in front Q
the shench.
There are your fle0, boys: sharper
upahnd veil cut their feet of today
hossaId. The spectacle OF the Spider
shaxpeniugthet spikes SO unnerve.
eennplNteIy 10 pieces nsthat series.
I6beah ltved to . ball player
- nd 4ssir' m umpire IN.
could win without conn
1nf4kfng assault 9ndt battery. Dnrfni
time thosGnme Maes c1eansed. for
MISSlAehyde4yssu pltfk4A IND nknof
Ssis4s HI 18th marked The paa5gss