Evening star., 1918-01-13
AMOS RUS|E IS NOW
APARK CARETAKER
Famous Pitcher of the eos
Has Job of Groundkeeper
for Seattle Club.

Out on tho Pacific coast, isolated but
not forgotten by tho thousands who
once paid him homage As the greatest
pitcher in the world. lives Amos Rusie.
whose name will ever remain IN the
memories of base ball fans of another
day.
Twenty-Five years ago his name was
ono with which to conjure wherever
base ball was played. Today Amos
Rusie is serving as caretaker of the
ball park in Seattle. Wash. where the
Northwestern League club of that city
plays Its games. While he has been far
from the scenes of his old triumphs for
| moro than a decade. his achievements
still mark standard by which tho ac-
complishments OF many present day
pitchers are judged.
He isn't as good as Rusie." has been
said of many a present day moundsman.
| for Rusie, when at his best. twirled
with Well nigh superhuman speed and
he was popular favorite to whom the
entire base ball universe paid tribute.
He was the Mathewson of another day.
Amos Rusie was born on Memorial
day. 1871. in Mooresville. Ind. and his
family moved to Indianapolis when he
| was an infant Rusie made his home in
u
turned there during the winter while
he was at the top of his career on the
major league diamond.
Product of Sand Lots.
His career began In Indianapolis He
| was a product OF the sand lots, like
| many another base ball hero of his time
The first class ball club that he recalls
! having seen in action was Dan OLeary's
| nine that played Independent base ball
| in Indianapolis. 1t was the inspiration
! he received from watching O'Learya
| famous aggregation at play that i'm
PEELED him to take up the game
| A rugged, well set lad Ruste had a
| splendid physical makeup for pitcher
he had, however. a right arm that was
shorter than that of any other pitcher
| VINO was playing the major leagues OF
| that time. but this defect made no diff
| ference whatever in the speed with
! which Rusie was able to throw the
| ball.
Rusie began his career on the diamond
as left fielder for the Never Sweats, a
juvenile aggregation that staged its games
on an open lot at Clifford avenue and
Michigan street Indianapolis. He played
four games in left field for that team. and
In the ffth game the pitcher got tired and
withdrew Rusie. who had won local repu.
tation for ability to throw a ball fast and
far, took up the burden and won the game
pitching from the fourth inning on
| The next year he Joined the Grand Ave
nues. then playing in the City League OF
Ind annapolis, and had by this time become
a full-fedged pitcher. He did not devote
his entire time to base ball. however but
kept his job in haddens lounge factory,
where he worked as a boy.
| 1t was his success as a pitcher for the
amateur local teams that enabled him to
climb higher. His reputation spread, and
he was given a chance to pitch for the
| indianapolis team later the same year
he was only seventeen years old at that
| time.
Sent to New York.
1t was an event Of much importance in
| the base ball realm when, in 1890. Rusie
| and a number Of other INDIANAPOLIS pay-
| ers joined the New York team. This was
the year of the brotherhood war and the
| indianapolis franchise and players were
| transferred to New York, which team
virtually had been wrecked by the deser-
| ton OF star players to the Players League
Despite his wonderful pitching
Rusie's relations with the manaeement
of the New York club at that time were
! not altogether pleasant. and in 1896 he
! quit the team temporarily. Rusfe re-
i sumed a year later. however, and con.
| tinued to pitch for New York until 1901
| when he was traded to the Cincinna ii
/, Reds for the then youthful Christy
| Mathewson, who had been drafted by
| Cincinnati from the Norfolk (Va.) club
! This marked the beginning Of the end
for Amos Rusie. He played with the
| Reds for one season,