The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-04-18
star PLAYERS
ON LINEUP FOR
BIG CAME HERE
Contract Closed for St. Louis
Pittsburg Exhibition Base
ball Game on May 7.

ball Game on May ].
Richmond baseball fandom will have
chance to see real exhibition OF
baseball Wednesday, May Z, when the
Pittsburg Pirates and st. Louis Car
dinals meet at Exhibition park.
l.. H. Constans. secretary Of tho
P!ttsburg club closed the contract BY
letter to q. e. Eggemeyer. assuring
him that the two teams would be here
for the game. On May 6, the st. Louis
Nationals and Pittsburg club play a
regular league game at st. Louis and
then start for Pittsburg together.
where they are scheduled to open up
on the Pittsburg grounds. Thursday.
May s.
AS the two teams could not make
Pittsburg In one Jump. Secretary Con.
stans sought to play game at some
city On route, on Wednesday after
noon. Richmond was considered one
OF the best cities along the route
which the two teams will pass, so
local fans will be given the opportun-
ity to witness big league game after
the regular baseball season swings
into action. This Is something new,
for although big league teams have
played here on numerous occasions, 1t
was either before or after season when
they did not carry their entire per.
sonnels.
Big Players In Lineup.
When the two teams clash here 1t
stands without reason that a number
OF their real mainstay players will be
included In the lineup. Last season
Pittsburg developed some wonderful
players.
From an unknown youngster on
Class A club to a sensational batting
champion Of the National league, all
In one season. Is the brief history CT
Billy Southworth, star side partner of
Max Carey in the outfeld of the Pr
rates lineup that will meet the ST.
Louis Nationals here. While dopsters
seem disposed to place the batting
championship crown on the head of
lack Wheat Of Brooklyn. yet the fig.
ures show Southworth's, batting aver
age the highest in the National league.
Actual records show that Southworth
batted .341 in GA games as against 1896
in 105 games for Wheat.
Who Is Southworth? Southworth Is
youngster who has not seen his
twenty-sixth birthday and who has
worked his way up from the lots
through minor ball to the National
league hall Of fame.
Played In Ohio League.
He began to play at his home town,
Columbue, O., some eight years ago,
and landed his first professional en-
Ragement with the Portsmouth club
In the Ohio state league in 1912. The
Cleveland Americans picked him up
In the spring Of 1913 and sent him to
Toledo the balance of the season and
IN 1914.
The Cleveland Americans took him
on in the spring of 1915 and later
turned him over to the Cleveland
American Association. which was the
old Toledo club transferred to Cleve-
land temporarily. The close of the
season found Southwark with the
Portland club in the Pacific Coast
during 1915. The Birmingham club
secured him in 1917 where he starred
as one Of the leading outfielders until
he broke his collar bone. He started
the 1918 season sensationally with the
result that the Pittsburg club pur-
chased him in June 1918
From the very start on the Pirate
lineup he was bowling success, max
Ing four hits in the first game and
never letting up until he closed the
season at the top of the batting hon.
or roll of the National league. All
pitchers look alike to him and for this
reason Manager Bezdek batted him
in the cleanup position, quite dis
tinction for youngster in the first
year of his career in the majors.
He is considered one Of the chief |
assets to the Pittsburg club, being an
all around baseball man. Had he !
been In the club the entire season 1t is |
believed that he would have been |
among the leading ten base stealers !
of the national league
Star Pitchers Coming.
Who Manager Hugo Bezdek will |
pitch In the exhibition game It Is i'm
possible to guess. But which ever OF |
his staff 1t may be there need be no |
doubt that the local fans will have |
chance to cast their eyes upon some of |
the classiest big league pitching they |
ever witnessed as Bezdek has some |
stars In his lineup.
Wilbur Cooper. Earl Hamilton. Frs
kline, Mayer, Frank Miller, Babe
Adams and Bill Evans are names to |
coniure by, as several of this staff |
made league records last year Earl !
Hamilton won the first six games
pitched last year when he entered the |
army. Bezdek covered up the holes
made by the army and finished in
fourth place, Cooper proved the dean
of the Pirate twirlers last year and
won the approval Of fandom as the
equal in ability to Jim Vaughn, big
southpaw OF Chicago Cubs.
Cooper came to the Pirates while
still mere boy and donned the
Buccaneer outfit when 10 years of
age. Cooper broke into the baseball
world with the Marion. O.. team. a
club Of the Ohio state league after at.
on the high school team. Bob Quinn,
tracing attention through his pitching
manager Of the Columbus, o.. Assoc
iation secured his services and in the
fall OF 1911 Cooper showed so much
promise that President Dreyfuss Of