Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-01-07
"P0P' TATE IS OLD-T|ME
FRIEND OF BILLY SUNDAY
Richmond Policeman Speaks in
Highest Praise of Famous
RcyivaiiSt.
ONCE PLAYED BALL WITH I'M
Old Newspaper Clipping Tells OF
Game in Which Allcghanys De-
rcatcd Boston Through, Great
Catch by Evangelist.

Billy Sunday is one of the best men
| ever knew in my life. More than
that. he was the clcanes, ha!! player
| ever ran into in my long experience
III the National League years ago" So
spoke Policeman T.. G. (Pop) Tate
Police Station.
- first ran across Billy Sunday in
lss5. He was playing with the PITTS
burg team at the time. lie was !,
young fellow, compared with myself.
but ne set itn example by living clean
and playing ci"aa and talking clean
something that few professional ball
players do
one or the clauses in his contract
was to the effect ihat he w9nid no;
never went around telling the other
fellows about this part OF his contract,
but when Sunday contests were sched-
ulcd he was never in the lineup. lie
Was so good thar the managers bid for
his services in spite OF his objection
on this point.
SUNDAY IS REAL MA.
IN TNTE.S ESTIMATION
Now don't get the idea that BILLY
Sunday was one OF these holy fellows
who was so busy being good that he
never had time 10 mix with the fellows
anu have good time declared pop
Tate. 1T was nothing like that. lie
was the finest fellow you ever saw and
Il man throuSh and through He had
red blood in him and ne could knock
the cover of the bali when his batting
eye was right. lie was solid man
and clean "a Il whistle then. He al
ways practCed what he preached then
and he is doing the same thing now.
And lac is still the same all-around
man and still as clean or cleaner than
he ever was.
1T has been twenty-five years since
I've seen Billy. but can remember
distinctly how he used to get up from
the bcncn and move Oft when Smutty
talk was being passed around between
the other players in the dug -out- lie
would simply yet up and leave the
gang. That crowd i forgotten now
and Billy is just coming into his own.
lie WAS different then and he still is
because he * much bigger than
the ordinary man. You just bet am
going TO hear him preach concluded
Pop as a call came for him to go
on duty.
NEWSPAPER CLIPPING
TELLS OF BILLI'S FIELDING
One newspaper clipping that Pop"
has carefully saved tells OF a game in
which the hllcghanys defeated the Eos-
Of To /. Tn. feature of tho con-
test was Billy Sundays great catch OF
:, hard-h hit BAH to center Held. which
During the season Of 1855. while
playing with the Allegheny team, Billy
Sunday hung up a record OF sixty nine
t.nbcr -. shortly before tho clos" OF
the season, tho ball player. now turned
rcvivalist. had made a batting average
Of .2.9 with siXty-four runs scored
and 1913 hits IN iSi trips 10 the plate.
OF tho loo hits. fourteen were two
bacg"rS and three OF them triples.
The Alicghenys did not win the pen
nant that year. however, in spite of
the great. playing, OF sunday
Pop" Tate Viii be sure to gree.
Billy Sunday with a hearty hand-shakc
when ne comes TO town on saturday,
aud there may be rcminiscences
snapped Of the days they played
against each other in the big circuit
YEARS